Sage
by Narutochica
Summary: The Nine Tails. The Five Tails. An Uzumaki, a Hyuuga. When their worlds clash, a new force rises to upset the delicate balance created between the Shinobi villages. So what comes first? Love? Duty? Or Power? NaruHarem, will end NaruHina. Switched to M.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, hope you enjoy this story. And no, I don't own Naruto although if I did, Naruto would pay more attention to Hinata than Sasuke-teme.

**Dealing with Demons**

"Well, if it isn't the little demon bitch again." An elderly man leaning casually against an elm tree shifted.

The comment was directed at a young girl, whose innocence glowed in every fiber of her body. Pearly lavender eyes glanced from the blond genin up at the older shinobi, whose eyes narrowed. Hands shaking, she gently lay she flowers she had been picking in a wicker basket brought along for just that purpose.

She stood up and bowed before him, midnight blue locks falling around her face.

"Ohayo, Elder Hiroshi...do you require my assistance? " She replied softly, noticing the heavy bag full of scrolls he was carrying. A weathered riding crop was gripped tightly in his left hand, and in the distance she could see an old grey pony standing in the shelter of a willow tree. _Her_pony, she noticed with slight annoyance. It was an early childhood gift that had been retired long ago, and shouldn't have been used. The welts on the beast's side were evidence of how much the man favored the whip.

Thin chapped lips tightened, and a gnarled hand shot out, hitting the girl roughly across her face. Any other child would have been knocked out on the spot, or at least fallen from the harsh blow, but she only winced and stood her ground.

"Demon. Are you suggesting an elder of my infamous clan is too frail to be of any use?" He thundered, glaring down at her.

The girl bowed again, eyes closed in submission. The gust of wind that passed over the meadow made her shiver slightly.

"Please, elder...I have told you time and time again that we are of the same blood, whether or not I am a jinchuuriki...and whether or not you accept it, I too belong to this clan you speak of." She brushed a few stray hairs out of her eyes, once again fixing her elder with an innocent look.

The elder's light lavender eyes flashed; before she could brace herself, he struck her again, this time with the riding crop. Blood welled up on pale skin; he had struck her twice in the same place, and it was taking it's toll on her delicate skin.

The look of sweet innocence abandoned her eyes, only to be replaced by a darkness that reeked of bloodlust. Her small fingers dug themselves reflexively into the soft patch of grass where she had fallen.

"There is not a human soul that resides within you...in mind, body, and spirit, you shall always be known as Gobi, the same monster that wiped out a clan." He walked around her, making sure to tap her sharply on the forehead with the crop. "I have business with your father, demon. And I shall make sure to tell him of your impudence." He whistled, and the little pony came trotting behind him.

He continued walking down the hill, the sack of scrolls now tied around the saddle horn. She felt a sinking feeling in her heart; Elder Hiroshi was but one of many who abhorred her for her inner qualities. But hearing these words from his mouth hurt especially.

"You're wrong!"

"Hm?" Hiroshi turned to see the young girl standing where he left her, the wounds on her face already healed by her accursed demon healing abilities.

"I_am_human, and...I am your granddaughter as well...why won't you ever acknowledge me for who I am?"She stepped closer, determined eyes imploring him to answer.

The old man's dry lip curled up in a smirk. "Accept your fate, Gobi. A human body you may have now, but wherever you go, your misdeeds shall cast a shadow of darkness over you." His eyes widened slightly when she came even closer until they were separated by about fifteen feet.

"Elder Hiroshi...you never call me by name anymore...can you at least do that for me?"

The elder's eyes narrowed. "You were never Hinata to me, demon. Go back to the mountains where you belong."

Hinata's eyes darkened, and the air was heavy with killing intent.

"Then in turn I will never consider the Hyuuga my real family." She knew it wasn't a good idea to piss off an elder, yet she was blinded with rage.

The irate man let go of the bridle and quickly closed the distance between them, the riding crop raised.

"I'll teach you to speak of the Hyuugas like that!" He brought the small whip down, only to find his arm suspended in midair, unable go farther. He looked down, eyes widened at the sight he beheld.

The demon child, radiating a desire to kill, had grasped his wrist firmly in a strong, muscular arm reinforced with an aura of purple demonic chakra.

Hinata turned her now-gold eyes on him, fixing him with a murderous glare. The shocked elder found himself unable to move or defend himself; he could only stare down at the small girl.

"I would not have done that if I were you," she whispered through inch-long canines. "Angering a 'demon' is foolish indeed."

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" Her grandfather spluttered, feeling her grip on his wrist tighten.

The only answer he received was an audible 'crack' as she swiftly snapped his wrist in two places, leaving the old man to moan in agony. Hinata watched with cold eyes as he fell to his knees, coddling his limp wrist.

"You_are_a monster...an heiress like you will lead my clan to shambles..." he ground out through clenched teeth.

The younger Hyuuga allowed a grim smirk to grace her features. "I have heard that all my life...it makes no difference what you think of me."

Picking up her flower basket, she walked further into Konoha forest without a backward glance. Her head was held high with dignity, and her soft eyes had returned to their normal pearly lavender color.

_**Little one...that was a very foolish thing to do...**_

"It's not like I care, Houkou. If anyone should be complaining, it's me." Hinata said aloud, walking along one of the dusty, sun-baked forest paths.

_**And why is that?**_

"It is your fault my clan loathes me. Your rampages are what cost me their love." Her grip tightened on the basket's handle. The tears she'd been holding back threatened to fall.

_**Before you go blaming me, may I remind you that it was your father who sealed me in the first place...**_

"What my father did was right for the village. It wasn't your right to go into the village and destroy the remnants of an already diminished clan."

_**You know nothing, little one...your father sealed me for his own benefit. He used you for a container because he was unwilling to sacrifice a more valuable clan member...you and I both know that...**_

Hinata scoffed and kicked at the ground with a sandaled foot. "I know...it's not like I haven't figured that out already."

_**Hmm...**_

"And it's not like either of us can change the past...you may have had your reason for attacking the village but in the end...it's screwed up both our lives. You know how much I dislike you."

_**You would never understand my reasons, little one...and I shall never tell you, either.**_

"Feh. Houkou, I can care less about your reasons..."

_**No, and I can respect that...you are caged within your family, little one...regardless of the cursed seal some of your more unfortunate kin bear. **_

"Yes...I'm surprised Father even kept me as heiress, being the weakest and all."

_**You mean you haven't figured it out?**_

"Figured what out?"

_**Little one, the only reason your father kept you as heiress is because he hoped you would harness my powers.**_

Hinata let out a small laugh tinged with nervousness. "And why would he want that?"

_**Well, a mere whelp like you is influenced easily by her parents. Why do you think your father shoves his lectures of 'clan tradition' and 'loyalty' down your throat every day? Why do you think he forces you to put make up and all that crap on your face every morning to hide your whisker marks?**_

For the first time Hinata stopped and faced the transparent, spirit-like figure next to her. Gold eyes stared boldly down at her, and five white tails swept back and forth over the ground.

"He doesn't want anyone outside the family to know about you, why else?" Her pearly eyes widened in fear.

_**That may be so, little one. However...**_The dog-like figure lay down in front of her, one front paw crossed delicately over the other. _**He has an ulterior motive...you may not notice a thing, but I, being stuck without any say inside you, have spent the entire twelve years of your life listening to what goes on within the Hyuuga. I've watched, I've payed attention when you failed to do so, and have come to a conclusion.**_

"So...what does he want, then?" She accidentally dropped the basket, an assortment of wild flowers spilling out of them.

_**He's molding you, little one. He's molding you to become his own likeness of perfection. The very second he retires and you are named Head of Family, you will become like an extension of him. A powerful extension, no, weapon that will follow his orders and bring the village to it's knees. **_

Hinata stepped closer, allowing one of the tails to wind lightly around her legs as a gesture of comfort. Though she was unable to feel it, since the dog was a mere projection from her mind, she found herself surrendering herself to the kindness of the gesture and sat down as well, finding herself interested in a being that was once the focus of her hatred.

"But how can he do that if I am Head, and have you inside me as well?"

Houkou cocked her head to the side. _**Status. We are one and the same, Hinata. Dogs like us have the etiquette of knowing status and rank running within our blood from the moment we are born. Nothing can stop Hiashi from being your father, and as an elder and a parent of yours, you may find it difficult to disobey him. If you can destroy what little love you have for your family, you may have a chance at freeing yourself.**_

"And if I don't?"

_**You shall be but a puppet, and naught but Hiashi's mindless blather will leave your mouth. You already knew this, Hinata...somewhere in the back of your mind...right?**_

Hinata nodded numbly. She had been denying all along, yet it was hard to accept.Her demon, the same demon that destroyed a hundred lives, the same evil demon that inhabited her soul held more truth in her words than her father ever did.

_**Little one...have you not noticed? This is the first time the two of us have had a decent conversation...surely you know this means something? I am the only one you can talk to without fear...see?**_

"What, Houkou? It doesn't matter...it's not like you _like_talking to me."

_**Now did I ever say that? All these years, you've pushed me away...shunned me...blamed me for your clan's hate. Things happen for a reason, and I feel very justified in destroying that clan...the two of us being stuck together was just an unfortunate setback...but think! You can end all this suffering within your clan.**_

The young heiress looked up at her through wet, glistening eyes. "H-how?"

Houkou's great golden eyes gleamed. _**In regards to training you will have to do as I say...it's the only way you will ever grow strong enough to take over the clan.**_

"How do I know I can trust you?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. _**You have my word. But, in return, you have to do something for me.**_

"Wh-what do I have to do? At least tell me."

_**Yes, I will eventually...but not now...you're not ready to handle such a responsibility yet. Hinata...I want you to open my cage...release me now, and you will forever have the power you so rightfully deserve. We will demand our respect, little one, and crush this pathetic village under our paws. It must be punished, my dear...punished for making us suffer so. Hear me out, Hinata.**_

Her breath hitched; gasping painfully she staggered backward, her fingers digging into the bark of a tree she backed against. "No..."

The demon's eyes gleamed more hungrily than ever. _**Yes!**_She got up and thrust her face close to the scared girl's, black lips drawn back in a snarl. She raised her head up and regarded her with an imperious glare. _**What is the worth in rejecting my offer? Do not take this lightly-I do not do this for just anyone. The First was wise in coming to me for power...and look at him! He knew things, had abilities that no one else had. He was a picture of greatness! And you, a pathetic, small whelp barely out of the womb are rejecting me?**_

"No...no...don't be mad..." Houkou relaxed slightly and emitted a low growl. _**What say you now, little one? Speak up!**_

Hinata squirmed nervously and forced herself to swallow the bile that built up in her throat. It all seemed so wrong; she had worked so hard to prove her loyalty to her clan. Was it worth throwing it all away for power?

_Would it matter? No matter what I do, they never acknowledge me...I'll always be the "Demon brat" or "The Gobi" to them..._

She took a deep breath, finding comfort in the way the air expanded her lungs. A more relaxed feeling settled over her body; Houkou was now met with a level, determined gaze, the gaze of a strong young woman rather than that of an underfed little girl. She licked her coal black lips in anticipation. The child was indeed a diamond in the ruff. A diamond that needed polishing to bring out her full potential. _My new legacy, _the demon growled in her mind. With narrowed eyes she watched as the girl drew closer once again and hesitated. Then nodded slowly in acceptance.

_**What have you to lose? Come to me...you will belong to me and only me...you will follow everything I say, seek my advice and my advise only...you will run when I say run... when I tell you to jump, you say how high, and when I train you, I expect you to work until you drop...stand taller, little one. You're slouching.**_ Houkou gave a faint rumble of approval at the way she straightened up. The girl's carriage was flawless; she was as delicate and graceful as a doe, a queen, even.

"Houkou..."

_**Yes, dear one?**_

"My father...he will hurt me again...I...I..." She stopped speaking and looked away, pain etched on her features.

_**Quiet girl. Stand your ground, and take each blow. When he strikes you upon your face, make sure that the blow lands on your forehead. That will sustain the least damage. If he should lash you, hold it all in, don't satisfy him with your wretched cries for mercy. Have pride in yourself! When I'm through with you, it shall be the tips of our claws on which his fate balances. **_

"Yes, Houkou."

Houkou gazed evenly at her, then began trotting back down the trail, her transparent body gliding along like that of a ghost. _**Your first trial begins now. Come! **_

Her voice was great and powerful, and Hinata could do nothing to prevent the shiver from running up and down her spine. She blinked nervously.

"Where are we going?"

Houkou looked down at the child, who had caught up with her. _**We shall find you your preferred mate, and gain his trust. **_Hinata blushed. "I think I'm too young...ano..."

_**Nonsense. I know who you want, and I approve your choice. The boy, the one who bears the face paint and the golden hair...he shall be an ideal partner for you. I can see it now. This boy is the one who will help you liberate your clan. He is special, little one. I know he is. **_

* * *

A blonde haired boy darted around a corner in the winding streets of Konohagakure village. A few pastries were clamped between his teeth, as he was running on all fours. He glanced over his shoulder at his pursuer; an overweight, balding man wearing an apron. Brandishing a rolling pin, he let loose a string of curses at the young boy, who chuckled under his breath, a mischievous glint in his eye.

As he bounded along, countless villagers ran aside to avoid him. He ignored the pointed fingers, the exclamations of surprise, even the objects thrown at him. His only goal was to escaped with his quarry, unscathed and in one piece. He skidded to a stop right before he ran into a group of young civilian women, who made a show of screaming and running away. He rolled his eyes, growled in exasperation. Nothing new. This happened at the very least once a day.

Promising himself silently to slit their throats one night, he continued his retreat up the well-worn streets and darted into a small, dark alley. The infuriated baker ran past, not even bothering to glance down the small entrance.

Naruto grinned, dropping the slightly squashed scones as he took a deep breath. He had made his first "steal", as Kyuubi no Yoko called it. He closed his eyes as a wave of Kyuubi's affection washed over him, bathing him in a feeling of self-satisfaction.

_**Well done, kit...keep doing this and you shall be able to provide for your mate, and your own kits, when you have em...you know what you have to do now, **_he added sternly.

"Yes, fa-Yoko." Naruto obediently picked the food up in his mouth and loped toward the section of woods that was contained withing the village walls. Only when he was safely within the trees did he stop and rest again, this time in front of a large burrow.

"Katsu. I came back, and I have brought an offering of food." The grass over at the mouth of the den rustled, then parted as a large sand-colored shape slipped into view.

"Naruto-kun, is it you?" The two-tailed fennec fox whispered. Her large ears twitched as she scented the food he pushed toward her.

"Kyuubi said I should give you my first steal, since you've protected and provided for me many times."

Katsu nodded in acceptance as several fat kits tumbled out behind her, drawn to the scent of baked food. Whisking the scones up with her strong jaws, the vixen whirled around and disappeared back into her den, the hungry kits waddling after her.

Naruto stared hungrily after them, half-wishing that he had eaten one of them before giving the rest away. Now slightly weakened by his empty stomach, he trudged slowly home, knowing the Hokage would probably give him hell for that morning's misdeeds. He jammed his dusty hands into his pockets. He hated Kyuubi's suggestion of running on all fours, but it sure was a hell of a lot faster when he did it that way.

_**Don't think you're done yet, kit...**_Kyubbi warned in his head. _**You still have your training to do when we get back...you'll never find a mate-or mates- if you don't keep up with your training and surpass the other tods. **_

"Boys, you mean..." He muttered. The heat was bearing down on him, causing little sweat droplets to dot his forehead.

_**Same difference. And don't give me none of that attitude, either. If I'm to be stuck in here, the least we can do is come to a compromise.**_

"Stupid fox. Your idea of a compromise is making me do eve3ry stupid thing you could think of."

_**What's your point, kit?**_

"Never mind."Unable to handle the heat, he pulling off his loose black t-shirt when he caught an odd, bright flash from the corner of his eye.

"What's that?"

_**Dunno, kit. **_He could mentally picture Kyuubi shrugging. _**Wait...don't go look. Try using your nose first. Scent training was the first thing I taught you, so don't screw up. **_

Ignoring his demon's remarks Naruto gathered a little chakra to his nose and inhaled deeply, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the possible identity of the being that moved. A picture of a young girl with pink hair formed in his mind. He smirked, revealing sharp canines.

"_Haruno..._"

_**Don't tell me you want her all of a sudden. She does not seem like the type we would ever father kits with...I mean, that pink hair and our genes mixing-**_

"What's the deal this 'mate' business. You keep telling me to get a whole bunch of girls, but I don't know why."

_**You seriously don't know? Look kit, when a man and woman love each other, sometimes they give each other a 'special' hug that results in...eh, forget it. The point, you'll get what you've always wanted. A large family, mates who'll love you and all that crap...you'll be happy. Just like you've always wanted...I want that for you...**_ He whispered the last part, flicking an ear in slight embarrassment.

_A family...I wonder what it'd be like to have one?__All I have is the old man...and even he's too busy to teach me anything..._

Naruto continued staring in wonder into the distance, where the pink haired girl was walking through a field, chatting amiably with a blonde haired girl carrying an armful of cosmos flowers. When in the sun, her hair had a light sheen to it that made it seem as if a halo were framing her face. A pinkish halo. A slight blush crossed his cheeks but he quickly forced it down. Just _looking_at her made him lose any train of thought. He felt his heart drop as she and her friend disappeared over the top of a hill.

_Maybe I should go talk to her...she does look kind of cute...for a girl..._ Swallowing a nervous gulp, he took a step forward only to be grabbed by the shoulder and yanked against a hard chest.

Immediately he snarled in anger, then fell silent as he felt the sharp point of a kunai being pressed into his back.

"Let...go...of me." He growled.

The unknown person behind tightened his grip, making his shoulder feel numb.

_Only a shinobi can grip that hard...probably a chunin or jonin...but more likely a chunin, _he decided, thinking carefully on his next move.

"Hmph. The Kyuubi brat. We should have known you'd be nearby. What, with a fox den so close, it's no surprise." The man grunted, which may actually have been a chuckle, and threw him to the ground, following quickly with a sharp kick in the ribs.

_The fox den? Katsu...the kits..._

The demon container merely lay where he fell. Experience had taught him that the more one resisted, the more one would get beaten, himself being the one. As he was in a weak state from all the training he'd done that morning, he wanted to avoid as many injuries as possible.

"Not saying anything, huh?" The man continued, kneeling down and grabbing him roughly by the hair. "But then, I wouldn't speak if I was about to die, either." The triumphant expression on his face fell when the boy neither spoke nor looked at him. Frowning, he yanked him up practically by the roots.

For the first time Naruto noticed the smell of alcohol on the man's breath. It was so faint, the man probably took about a shot. And a shot was all it took for him to lose it.

_**His mind seems fragile, kit...be wary...he could snap in a second...**_

"Damn demon...damn you..." He muttered, dragging the semi-conscious boy deeper into the woods, an empty bottle clutched tightly in his free hand. "Took my wife...my baby girl...my entire life..." His voice broke off in a choked sob, and big tears began rolling down his face. "My little baby..."

Naruto tried desperately to escape, but it was of no use. Not even Kyuubi could help him, for his body was so weak, the demon's activated chakra would destroy it.

He suppressed a pained grunt as he was once again dumped roughly to the ground. A loud, crashing noise was erupting next to his ear; he couldn't keep his train of thought, and all plans for escape scattered like mice. He had been dumped next to a river.

"Th-this is where you belong, Kyuubi." Tears were still pouring down his cheek. The man's face was twisted in grief. He looked so ugly at that moment. Ugly for taking the pain of past tragedies out on what he knew was a being separate from the Kyuubi himself. Even through all the hate, he felt a sort of pity toward the man, and felt guilt for what happened to his family, though not for long as he was once again jabbed in the ribs. Naruto found himself rolled on to his stomach; his hands were pulled and tied behind his back with a rope of chakra. He lost patience.

"What the hell are trying to do to me, you old asshole?" He screamed, trying vainly to pull free. A hard clout across the face shut him up; the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and he knew then that all chances of escaping were slim.

The world no longer cared. He knew that the entire village-and that Haruno girl- would turn their backs on him as they had done for the past twelve years. If anyone passed by, they were not likely to aid him, only egg the man on further. Had it not been not for Kyuubi's ruthless disciplinary training, he would have burst hopelessly into tears a long time ago.

Now, he only felt anger. Kyuubi's anger, at the unjust treatment his host, his _kit_received by those who should be bowing before him on hands and knees. He was_king,_dammit! He was ruler of all demons, and a low-class shinobi was all he needed to get killed. His parents were probably spinning in their graves right now.

"They let a monster like you into our academy, with our children. The Hokage insists that you are merely 'harmless' and 'misunderstood'. Tell me. Do you think he'll be saying that when find the throats of every one of our children slashed, as you did to my own? Blood will stain the streets of Konoha before he sees things our way. The council's way!"

Naruto turned his head away in barely suppressed anger. The man was obviously speaking on behalf of the entire village. Why was it that he never got a say in things? It was always the village this and the council that. And how dare he insult the old man?!

_I have no voice, _he thought bitterly. _It was stolen from me the very minute I was given Kyuubi._

The man chuckled once more, his face the picture of hard-won happiness. The lines that creased his forehead disappeared momentarily. For just a second he resembled what must have been himself, twelve years ago, a young, successful man with the family he'd always dreamed of. Now a middle aged adult with no other desire than to take revenge on the one who tore that life away from him in an instant.

"Perhaps you will see things from my side after this." He held up a wriggling sack. "Now you will know what it's like to lose someone precious." The boy stiffened, recognizing the scent of what the sack contained. His worst fears came true when the shinobi turned it over, in doing so dropping a tiny fox kit on the soft grass. It's unusually large ears revealed that it was a fennec kit, no doubt one of Katsu's own offspring who had wandered too far from the den.

The little kit swayed on it's feet, then yelped as he was picked up roughly by the scruff of his neck. It's tail was tucked between his legs. "Mama..." It whispered as it dangled helplessly.

"Shut up." The terse reply was immediately followed by a hard blow that sent the tiny kit into a series of pained cries. The knock hadn't satisfied the man's thirst for revenge, for he merely yanked it up by the scruff of it's neck once more.

For the first time in a long time, Naruto's eyes slitted and turned red. How could he? Taking his anger out on an innocent creature was unforgivable. The chakra rope that bound his hands cut painfully into his wrists as he hurried to weaken it with his own chakra. The shinobi only grinned at his fruitless attempts to escape. And right in front of the demon container, he pulled out a small tachi blade from within his weapons pouch.

Unaware that another pair of eyes was watching the whole proceedings, Naruto watched as he held the whimpering kit high in the air so that the sun glinted through his soft sandy fur. He knew the poor animal was crying pitifully for it's mother, and almost couldn't bear to watch as it batted desperately at the air, hoping for some kind of salvation.

The silver blade flashed; before he could do anything, say something, the small blade was buried up to the hilt in the kit's neck. It's golden eyes were wide open, still full of the terror it felt in the last moments of it's life.

This time, he allowed tears of anger to course down his face as the man laughed and tossed the motionless body into a pile of bushes. A sick smile was fixed on his face as he once again approached the boy.

"You teme..." He ground out. For once, Kyuubi was silent, to overcome with grief at what they had just witnessed.

"That was for my suffering. This is for my family, and those that were murdered by you Kyuubi. Once you are gone, the Hokage will finally realize his mistake and repent for them. Begone!" And so, with a rough kick he sent the demon container into the rapids below. After watching for a few seconds the wretched man sunk to his knees, head buried in his hands as he sobbed uncontrollably. He was now an emotional wreck and for the time being presented no more harm.

Hinata watched, horrified as her love was swept away by the river's current. She was unable to hear anything the man said and so missed the reason why Naruto was being attacked in the first place. She had, at the last moment switched the fox kit with a substitute. The only thing the shinobi had managed to stab was her jacket, which had revealed it's true form when he threw it in the bushes. She cradled it soothingly to her chest.

"Naru-nii" He whimpered.

Hinata felt a stab of pain in her heart. Shivering, she turned pleadingly to the astral projection of her demon.

"Houkou, what-"

_**Go after him, pup. This is your chance to gain his trust...hurry, before it's too late! **_

Houkou's sharp words jolted her into focus. Already she had lay the kit down and was stripping off her sweatshirt, revealing the tight black training uniform female Hyuugas commonly wore. When she glanced back swiftly to look at the kit, it was gone. In the distance she saw a larger light brown fox running through a field, the kit dangling from her mouth.

_This is my chance to help Naruto-kun...please be safe..._

Without wasting any more time she launched herself into the water, trying desperately to go along the current without losing sight of the one she admired.

Naruto concentrated the demon's energy to the chakra rope that bound his hands. Feeling the fibers dissipate completely, he wildly flailed his arms, trying desperately to get his head above the surface. If there was one thing he was never good at, it was swimming. Kyuubi had felt it unnecessary to teach him how to swim until he was older; as such, that particular skill was still foreign to him. Somewhere far away he heard another splash. Was that crazy man going after him again?

Water filled his lungs as he gasped desperately for breath, silently cursing his demon for his lack of common sense. When his head finally broke the surface, he realized how far the water had taken him, to the southern area of the woods. Further down the river was a small break in the village walls that allowed the river water to pass through to the lands beyond. Unfortunately, the gap was large enough for a person to pass through and injure himself on the rocks on the other side.

_**Remember kit...keep moving your limbs...grab on to something!**_

"I-I'm trying to! Kyuubi!"

Two of his fingers snagged a tangled vine; mustering all his strength he thrust a hand through a loop in the knotted plant and puled himself slowly but surely out of the current. Kyuubi's yells of encouragement spurred him on.

Kyuubi's training had involved strenuous workouts that were meant to build up muscle. For the first time in his life, he felt grateful for that. He once again pulled on the vines and heard an audible 'snap'. The last thing he beheld was the section of vine that had broken off before his vision suddenly went dark.

He sensed the presence of another individual next to him; it may have been that shinobi, making sure that he was finished off. That same individual crashed alongside him in the swift current, ignoring the swipes he aimed at it. Suddenly, the presence disappeared. Something hard hit his head. For a second he tasted blood; then it disappeared as he felt his mind weaken, like the flickering flame of a dying candle. A minute passed before he sensed the presence of life again, this time beneath him. He was prepared to attack it once more when he felt something bump up against his bare chest. Before he could panic it lunged forward with a powerful stroke, buoying his head to the surface and swimming against the current. A new, intoxicating scent filled his nostrils, making him feel more lightheaded.

He was unable to see the young female that was with him, but he somehow knew she was a friend. Someone who was willing to save him. Taking a welcome breath of air Naruto let himself be pushed roughly to the bank and lay there for several minutes, noting that his rescuer was sprawled several feet away from him. Her breathing was erratic; she must have been exhausted.

Though Kyuubi's voice was too faint for him to hear anything he said, he felt strangely comforted by the harshness of it.

When he regained his sight, the first thing he did was take his first look at his benefactor. She lay on her side, one hand drawn to her chest and the other cushioning her head. Slowly, tentatively he reached out and brushed a few silky strands of midnight blue hair out of her face.

His breath hitched; never before had he seen a girl so beautiful she could compare to Haruno-san.

Naruto hesitated, then tugged her hand from her chest, face falling in dismay when he saw the long scratch he inflicted when he swiped at her. He sat back on his haunches, eyes narrowed in concentration. Something was oddly familiar about the girl.

_I've seen her somewhere before...but that doesn't matter now. And I can't just leave her here..._

Naruto knelt and gathered her still body into his arms. Almost immediately she buried her face in his bare chest, giving the boy cause to smile tenderly at her little actions.

His breathing slowed to an easy pace when he realized she was the source of the new scent.

_**Kit...**_Kyuubi rumbled, then went quiet. He hadn't expected to find it so soon, but it was right there in their arms.

The perfect mate for Naruto. Strong, brave, and beautiful. But both were much, much too young for anything too serious. His host needed a friend way more than a romantic partner for the time being.

Kyuubi growled appreciatively in the back of his mind as he planned ahead. He would have to more careful than ever. Now that he had her in his grasp, he was not letting her go. At least, not without a little reminder...

_**Kit...**_he growled so low his host couldn't hear him. _**One day, you shall thank me for this...I can guarantee that...**_

A brand of fire filtered through the unknowing containers palms and wound itself around the Hyuuga's stomach, finally ending as a spiral that surrounded her belly button. It faded after a few seconds.

Hinata sighed and buried her head further in his chest, causing a redness to rise to the boy's cheeks.

"Naruto-kun..." she whispered dreamily, her heartfelt tone reaching Kyuubi's satisfied ears only.

* * *

_Where am I? Unh...my chest hurts..._

The Hyuuga heiress sighed, then opened her eyes slowly, relishing the unusual feel of a thin blanket draped over her body.

She was bathed in dim light, but she didn't mind; she liked it that way.

A delicate hand rose; she wiped lazily at her eyes and yawned luxuriously before realizing that the bed she was on was not her own. What was worse was that someone else was occupying it as well.

She froze in fear, heart beating a mile a minute. When the truth slowly dawned on her, she nearly fainted from shock.

_Oh...no...I'm in Naruto-kun's house...in Naruto-kun's bed...next to Naruto-kun... _Her heart was beating so fast, she feared the sound of it's throbbing would wake him up. Quietly, so as not to disturb him, she slipped out of the bed and let out a sigh of relief when her feet touched the cold floor.

_Father will punish me more if I come home late...but it would be rude to leave Naruto-kun now... _She lingered uncertainly by the bed, uncertain of what to do. Maybe it was best if he forgot about her for now...for his own protection. For reasons unknown, Hiashi had always forbidden her from communicating with Naruto in any way, shape or form. Naturally, that aroused her own curiosity about him and only encouraged her to watch him.

Like now, for instance. He was a troublemaker at school, yet the way he was sleeping so peacefully made him look so innocent, so satisfied with life. But whether or not he was happy remained in question.

Her mind made up, Hinata somewhat regretfully left the room and walked through the small apartment, amazed that it was so tidy, especially at the fact that it was inhabited by a boy as young and rambunctious as Naruto. A small, fluffy stuffed fox caught her sight, looking rather lonely as it sat on the round kitchen table. Unable to resist, she picked it up gently and looked into it's big, amber eyes. It's fur was a fiery red, and a mischievous smirk reminded her of the cocky one worn by a certain blond. Allowing herself a shy smile she petted the tuft of fur on it's head for a few seconds.

_This must be Naruto-kun's...why would he own a stuffed animal...? _It didn't give any indication of answering.

"His name is Kyu."

Hinata jumped, then flushed a deep red as Naruto appeared in the doorway, yawning loudly. Embarrassed, she lay the fox on the table and stuttered an apology that he immediately waved aside. Then she noticed.

He wasn't wearing a shirt.

He either didn't notice it, or if he did, he didn't show it, but Naruto was unintentionally making the Hyuuga very nervous.

Completely oblivious to her fidgeting, he calmly strolled over to the table and picked up the fox.

"I found him on my doorstep a few years ago, and decided to keep him. Not that he does much."

"O-oh. I-I think he's very c-cute," she stuttered in reply, her voice soft and quiet.

"Yeah..." Naruto trailed off uncertainly. "Listen...I kinda want to thank you for...you know...saving me earlier on today." When she blushed even redder he briefly wondered if she was coming down with some sort of fever.

"I-it's nothing...ano...N-Naruto-kun? W-why did that m-man try to..." It was difficult to say. "Hurt you?" She looked up slowly to meet his startlingly blue eyes, then dropped her gaze again. _Why is he not answering? Did I offend him? _Worried that she might have touched upon a sensitive subject, she stuttered another apology and turned to leave when he lunged forward and seized her arm firmly.

He seemed to hesitate, then lowered his gaze to the ground, his fist, the grip on her arm tightening as he were holding on to some sort of pain. His eyes danced like blue flames, and a blanket of discomfort fell over the room. As the seconds slowly passed the eerie look passed his eyes, and he suddenly released her, as if he'd been burned. He looked a little guilty.

"I'm used to that kind of stuff, so it doesn't matter. Just...drop it."

Hinata felt her spirits dampen. Judging by the coarseness of his voice, it mattered to him a great deal.

"Ano...excuse me for p-prying...but w-why do you not ask a-anyone for help?"

Naruto frowned. "I said it doesn't matter, it's no big deal at all...I don't any help either."

"B-but that man nearly k-killed you, N-Naruto-kun. A-and...everybody n-needs help s-sometimes. I..." She glanced down and prodded her fingers nervously. "I s-sometimes need help..." she finished quietly.

"You're saying things as if you know what I'm going through...you have no idea." Naruto ignored the curses Kyuubi was throwing at him for saying something so stupid. Here was someone who actually had the_nerve_ to suggest that he was incapable of taking care of himself. That was enough to merit as a personal insult.

Insulting a fox was a very foolish thing to do.

Hinata stepped back warily. This was not what she'd intended.

"You have no idea what it's like to take crap from the entire every single person in the village. You're one of those Hyuugas, right?" When she nodded, wide-eyed he continued his brutal assault. "You're the last person to be giving me advice, then, you who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and a family that gives a damn. You've had the easy life, so why should you care?"

All pity for him melted away; before she could stop herself Hinata rounded on him, blinded by her own anger to heed Houkou's warnings to keep her temper.

"And what gives you the right to make automatic assumptions about a person because of how they were born? What gives you the right to even glorify the fact that you've been suffering without regarding the situations of another? That is very selfish, Naruto-kun, and you of all people should know that. There are always others who are worse off, so don't go looking for pity because in the end, you're just as bad as the people that make your life miserable!" She stopped for breath, then stared at him, wondering what on earth came over her. Already she looked apologetic.

Naruto glared coldly at the girl before turning around and opening a cupboard.

"I don't want to talk about it, so just drop the subject...and leave." He murmured tensely, pulling down a packet of instant ramen. He didn't want to lose his temper again. The next time he did, both he and Kyuubi knew it would be directed at her. His request came too late; to his annoyance she had already started leaving, and had paused, hand on the doorknob as she listened. When he finished, she hesitated before opening the door.

"U-um...I a-apologize for n-not minding my business, N-Naruto-kun...but I w-won't apologize for what I said...a-and...I hope things get...b-better for you..." Kyu's sewn-on smirk seemed to grin more widely. Hinata's bottom lip quivered as if she were about to cry. Without waiting for an answer she slipped out, leaving the kitsune vessel alone in the dark once more. Naruto continued to stare numbly after her as she left. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a sudden impulse to run after her. He shook his head and turned back to his ramen.

_**You're an idiot, you know.**_

_Leave me alone, Yoko...I'm not in the mood..._ With an impatient flick of the wrist he turned on the faucet and let the thin stream of water splash inside a small pot.

_**Your feelings are worth nothing to me at the moment, kit...sheesh. Give him a friend and what does he do? Chase her away...huh!**_

Naruto, in the midst of tearing open the ramen packet with his teeth, froze. "A friend?" he asked aloud. "Nah...something has to be wrong with her if she wants to be friends with me." A downhearted sigh followed as he set the pot of water on the stove.

_**Maybe, kit...who knows?**_

* * *

Ok, I couldn't resist, but I _had_to get this out before someone else did. Personally, I don't like the idea of a NaruHarem story because they seem offensive towards women, but I might as well try something new every once in a while. Although, I'm not that ready to write a yaoi or yuri yet. I will update my other stories, and I will not start a new one until I have finished one of them. By the way, I want to make clear that this will most likely not end as a NaruHarem, so I want you all to vote either in a review or on my profile. There will be NaruHina as well. So which would you prefer as the final pairing?

NaruHina- This _is_my favorite couple after all.

Or

HinaHarem- Hinata having a bunch of guys to love her seems very appealing to me, and besides, Naruto will be in it, so it's still a win/win situation. It will include either guys from the rookie nine or members of the Akatsuki.

And as for NaruHarem...I'm still open for suggestions. And another thing to make clear: If you are here only to read hardcore threesome lemons with no substance whatsoever, you can get the hell out of here. This is a romance story, not a bunch of mindless, dirty garbage.

Love you all, and I hope you like the first part. If not, I'll just end it after about ten chapters.

Narutochica :3

Useless trivia: In this story, I decided to make Kyuubi a fennec fox, due to the fact that his large ears are similar to the foxes of that breed. Another reason is because fennec foxes live in groups called harems, with one alpha male, one omega male of a lower status, and a number of vixens that mate only with the alpha. So, you can see the resemblance it has to this story.


	2. The Awakening

**The Awakening**

_I don't own Naruto, Gov'ner. Honestly. Want a bag of crisps?(Yes, I really do have a English accent)_

As expected, Yoko's wake-up call came at six o' clock on the dot as usual...not to mention the fact that the red fennec was of a foul temper that morning. But that was normal, and Naruto had no right to complain, as that was the agreement made between them ever since he entered the academy. The Kyuubi's duty was to train him every morning, and whatever methods he used to wake and/or train were him were to be of his own choosing. One might say they could be comparable to that of a slave driver.

_**Get the hell up, you worthless little snot! After that horrendous performance yesterday, I expect nothing less than a-**_

Naruto sighed inwardly, then promptly regretted it as Yoko's yelling increased. Ever since his argument with the Hyuuga girl(he couldn't remember her name) he had been going on and on about how stupid and oblivious his host was. That, and a few more insults with words tossed in like ignoramus and dunderhead filled the rant out quite nicely.

_**And don't get me started on that Hyuuga kit from last night. It was bad enough she rescued you, a big, strong but no, you had to go ahead with your usual block-headedness and...oh, by my name of Yoko Tentei I should just-**_

Perfect. Now he was going on about _her_. He honestly did not see why the fox demon was so obsessed with that girl in the first place. It actually scared him, to say the least. The Kyuubi scarcely held more than a passing interest for the people in his host's life. He listened dully to Yoko's words, unwilling to listen but forced to just the same. He vaguely remembered that today were the first genin exams, in which the academy students were given a chance to advance to that level of skill. Personally, he held no interest whatsoever in being a genin; the position as Hokage was the only thing that held his focus.

Of course, when he voiced this out loud to the Kyuubi when the notion occurred to him, the demon's reaction was one of disappointment and utter annoyance.

'_**I was never born with these nine tails, kit. They didn't just grow overnight. Even I had to work hard to gain power and be a king. How can you become a king without having first fulfilled your duties as a prince?'**_

At that time, Yoko's metaphorical way of speaking was something an eight year old could never understand, yet the fox was ignorant as to anything concerning Naruto's comprehensive capabilities. As he always said: _**'If you have to ask, don't bother coming to me in the first place.'**_

The Kyuubi's voice once more broke into his thoughts.

_**And what's worse, my kin are now in more danger. What will we say to Katsu about her dead kit? What about her mate, and his other vixens? What will they see in you now? And how do you think this makes me, their King look?**_

The demon's infuriated yells rose to escalating heights, and the boy could take it no longer. Throwing off his sheets, rolled off his bed and showered quickly using hardly soap, something the Kyuubi could never approve of. Yoko quieted down a bit and growled in distaste when Naruto dabbled only a little soap liquid on his washcloth.

_**You're a human**_he stated bluntly as his host tugged on his favorite orange jumpsuit. _**You don't know how to clean yourselves the proper way, you need an alternate method that is more suited for your naked skin.**_

"At least I don't go around licking my furry ass whenever I feel like it..." he muttered under his breath. The Kyuubi huffed and lay down in his sealed cage, a few of his flaming tails twitching in agitation.

_**I can never help but wonder what will become of you, kit. **_Disappointed laced the demon's unusually soft tone.

Light filtered in through the open window of his kitchen. Even as the rays hit a glass on the table, resulting in a multicolored spectrum on the smooth surface, he swore silently to himself that he would train twice as hard, if only to never hear the Kyuubi use that voice ever again.

Yoko made it very clear that he was done saying anything for the day, and could care less about what his young host did. He knew how it hurt the boy, ignoring him though he was too young to truly understand the importance of his destiny. _**He'll learn on his own soon enough...**_

Once he was done changing, Naruto lingered in outside his front door for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. Every day, before the Ninja Academy opened, the Kyuubi would set him a few warm-up drills such as, but not limited to, meditating and running halfway around Konoha and jogging back. Without chakra. He waited expectantly for Yoko's directions, but received none.

"I guess I'll go for a run around Konoha," he said to no one in particular, though he hoped the Kyuubi would respond. Silence answered him once more.

Shrugging it off, Naruto took a detour and flipped swiftly onto the roof, then jumped from the top of one building to another until he reached a quiet, grassy part of the village that was situated close to a part of the great wall. He glanced quickly behind him, wanting to make sure no one had followed. Ever since yesterday, he had taken extra precautions to avoid any people who may have witnessed his theft. The taking of a few pastries was a natural occurrence in Konoha, and any punishment resulting from such a crime was equivalent to a slap on the wrist.

For the village fool,(a name some of the adult citizens tacked on him along with his already famed "The Kyuubi")a punishment by other means and with a questionable amount of harshness would inevitably waiting for him, no matter how much he tried to prove his worth. The villagers would catch him later; right now he had other things to do.

He dug around for a bit until he came to a small bush with scarlet yew berries that was right near the bottom of a section of the village wall. It was so small, he almost missed it the first time, as it was hidden within the dulling, green stalks of long grass that grew there. Brushing some of the small branches aside, he crawled through a narrow break and emerged on the other side, right in the forest.

He had discovered the hole on an occasion in which Kiba Inuzuka accompanied him when they snuck out of class. Actually, it was Akamaru who led him to it, when he ate one of the yew berries. After a furious struggle to dig the poisonous fruit out of the restless pup's mouth, the demon container noticed the gap and the rest was history. They spent the rest of the day exploring the forest and pretending to be rogue ninjas, one of the few times Naruto was truly able to play with a friend(and rival) who looked past all his flaws and accepted him for who he was. Kiba never said anything, but Naruto saw in the Inuzuka's eyes that he knew more than he let on.

All things had to come to an end, and Kiba and Akamaru eventually had to go home. A severe tongue lashing from Tsume Inuzuka prevented Kiba from cutting with him more often. Nevertheless, both swore themselves to secrecy, oblivious to the fact that keeping such a weakness of the village a secret from the ANBU could be counted as a criminal offense.

He paused to brush of the few leaves clinging to his clothes, then began his run, slightly unnerved that the fox demon wasn't paying attention.

* * *

For the second time that morning, Hinata woke up to a feeling of utter shame and hopelessness. The first time was about a half hour after she slipped into through her bedroom unnoticed and changed into her nightclothes. She knew a punishment was waiting for her; daring to lay a hand on an elder of her own clan was considered dishonorable. She cared not for her grandfather, yet it was difficult to not feel guilt clawing uncontrollably at her insides, the agony on Elder Hiroshi's face haunting her as she slept. After she woke up and realized she was still in her room, she relaxed enough to let the sound of wind whistling through the chimes out front lull her into a state of drowsiness.

Much to her surprise, instead of staying silent like she usually did, Houkou bade her to leave her room and take a casual stroll through the gardens that lined the interior of the compound.

"_Houkou...there is something you wanted to talk to me about..." Hinata gulped and prodded her fingers together in nervous manner. "Is...is it about...Naruto-kun...?"_

_Houkou padded serenely beside her, almost glowing in moonlight that filtered through the treetops. "__**Not all of it.**__" She answered after a moment of silence. "__**If my memory serves me correctly...tomorrow shall be the first day of spring.**__"_

"_Yes."_

_Houkou's mention of spring brought back distant memories of a dead tree that sat forlornly in one corner of the large garden. Once a great tree that bore vast quantities of cherry blossoms, it was now charred black from the time it was struck by lightning. For some reason her father had not the heart to cut it down; he refused to let the gardeners anywhere near it._

"_**And it is on the first day of spring-as well as the first day of all seasons-that Konoha holds genin exams?**__"_

"_Yes, Houkou." The demon seemed to contemplate her words for a moment, then jerked her broad muzzle toward a nearby rosebush. "__**We rest here.**__" Without waiting for an answer her astral figure settled itself contentedly beside the bush._

_Knowing that it would ruin her nightgown yet at the same time curious as to what the Gobi would say next, she fell on her knees next to her, the tickling of the short, soft grass against her skin bringing an odd wave of nostalgia over her._

"_**Hinata...you have displayed an extraordinary amount of bravery today. At first I thought you weren't ready yet, but, because of your will to be a genin I have decided to teach you something that will almost guarantee a pass in these upcoming exams.**__"_

_She blushed lightly at the comment. No one had called her brave before. It was a lot nicer than the usual insults thrown at her from every which way. "Th-thank you Houkou, but...do you really think I'm fit to be a ninja?"_

_That question caught the demon off guard. "__**What makes you ask that?**__"_

"_It's just that...I don't really possess the qualities Father wants in me." _Selfishness, ambition...strength. _"He wants be to be ...him. If I smile, he calls it frivolous, yet if I frown, he considers it a sign of illness."_

"_**So you say a ninja can't smile? Can't frown? How can a ninja be a ninja without displaying basic emotions and expressions? Think Hinata!**__" Houkou narrowed her eyes slightly. "__**The absence of emotion leads only to one's downfall and self-loathing. If you want to become your father, be my guest.**__"_

_The heiress sighed and tucked a stray lock of midnight blue hair over her ear. "Is that why you wanted me to be with Naruto-kun?"_

"_**Mm?**__"_

"_Naruto-kun...is never afraid to show how he feels. He is the...exact opposite of how I am meant to be." She tugged distractedly at a blade of grass. "Maybe if I treated myself with that kind of conviction, I could be like him...someday."_

"_**Then I can help you...**__" Houkou jerked her muzzle to the left. "__**Do you see that tree over there? That one, the one that stands dead and ash-ridden?**__"_

"_Yes..."she answered warily, realizing she was talking about the tree that was struck by lightning._

"_**Tonight I am going to teach you the basics of a special technique...one that can be used only by those with my blessing. Do not take it lightly...each Bijuu has their own trademark ability, and we are all very jealous with how we pass on our skills.**__" Houkou's grave eyes bored into hers. "__**It took my first apprentice a year to master it...he was a genius who died an harsh, yet honorable death. I do not want to see that happen to you, Hinata.**__"_

"_It won't, Houkou."_

"_**Good, love. That tree...**__"_

"_Houkou, please tell me!"_

"_**Tonight...**__" She placed a translucent paw in the middle of the tall, burnt stump. "__**We shall bring it back to life!**__"_

They had stayed up most of the night, training, when the five-tailed demon called it quits. _**'I can't expect a child like you to acquire and maintain the Wood Element...the process of compressing and recomposing chakra is difficult, even for me.'**_

That said, she promptly sent her host back to bed.

Hinata was dismayed to realize, once she woke up again, that her dreams involved none other than Naruto, the boy who rejected her overtures of friendship and all but threw it in her face. What was worse, the mere thought of him no longer brought a shy blush to her face anymore.

_Maybe I just outgrew him?_ The young Hyuuga mused as she stood on tiptoe in front of her mirror and checked her cheeks for any sign of the telltale redness.

Houkou, as usual, didn't bother to say anything. The dog demon only spoke when she felt it necessary to.

Hinata sighed sadly and turned away from the mirror. _He probably sees something dark and evil every time he looks at me..., _She thought, remembering the disgusted looks other members of the main branch sent her when they crossed paths. Whether or not they knew of the demon, it didn't matter. Hosting a demon or being labeled a "failure" merited their icy stares. She still had another hour before she had to get up; she may as well get an early start.

A little self-conscious, she tugged off her nightgown in a sharp, nervous movement. Ashamed, she quickly wrapped a towel around herself and darted into the bathroom, unwilling to look at her naked body. The results of all the punishments she'd ever received lingered on her pale skin like unmoving shadows. They would never fade.

Hiashi made sure of that.

Her body was changing in it's own ways as well, ways that scared her when she'd first noticed. It had all started when her mother(who came and went as she pleased) introduced her to a horrific contraption called a bra. Said device was made of silk, with sharp, metal clasps at the back to prevent it from falling off while simultaneously holding the bosom in place. It wasn't like she needed it at the moment. She had been only eleven! Boys were lucky in that sense. They didn't have to wear one.

The simple act of wearing one all the time made her all the more aware of the queer looks she got from man and boy alike when she went out without her sweatshirt on. The eerie stares, along with lewd comments hissed to her from the shadows of every road she tread on were more than she could handle, forcing her to rely on baggy shirts and hoodies to hide whatever was there. No matter how much her mother had told her to relax, the feeling of fear running it's clawed fingers along her back never disappeared.

Humming softly to herself, she picked up a bar of soap and stepped into the shower, making sure to turn the water on hot. Ever since she was a young girl, the touch of heat on her skin brought out a hidden feeling of delight in her. She gasped and threw her head back, welcoming the heat as it enveloped her body. It was weird; the heat felt as if it were healing every ache and pain that was ever wrought on her. Allowing a content smile to grace her lips, the young heiress combed a handful of scented shampoo through her midnight blue locks and let the warm spray rinse it out.

The thick makeup she always wore washed off her cheeks, revealing the black markings most jinchuuriki possessed. Her father referred to them as "side-whisker" marks, as they resembled an outline of the two pointed tufts of fur found on either side of a wolf or lynx's face. The minute she left the shower she smeared on the makeup again. Regular water couldn't wash it off unless it was mixed with soap or shampoo. Naturally, this was a regular problem.

To tell the truth, she rather liked her marks. They were a unique quality only she possessed.

She quickly donned her clothes(a light, form-fitting Hyuuga training uniform and black hoodie) and tiptoed downstairs where her father would inevitably be waiting for her. Taking a deep breath, she lingered nervously in the hallway, unsure of how to confront him. At that precise moment Neji turned the corner, thin lips drawn down in his usual scowl.

Her loathing cousin's sudden appearance helped make her decision; she hurriedly mumbled an "Ohayo, Neji nii-san" before pushing desperately past him.

Neji's eyes burned furiously into his younger cousin's back when she murmured a greeting as he passed. He opened his mouth to make a sharp retort, then promptly shut it as an older Main house member held two fingers to his forehead in warning. He had seen the entire exchange, and wasn't too thrilled about it.

"Make the tea, Neji." A simple order, but one that hurt the Hyuuga prodigy's pride. He bowed and excused himself to the kitchens.

About ten minutes later, a sudden noise alerted him to the presence of another individual. Knowing it was forbidden to in the house, he activated the Byakugan and allowed a few of the Keirakukei veins to appear on either side of his face. His forehead wrinkled in confusion.

_Hinata? Why is she walking like that?_ Her chakra circulation was in disarray, as if she were in distress. She limped slightly, gasping in pain as she walked past the doorway to the kitchen. At the sight of Neji she straightened up and walked normally, then dropped back into her former slow, painful gait. Neji frowned, wondering what could possibly be going on with his younger superior when Hiashi, Hinata's father walked calmly into the room.

"My tea?" He questioned, serene eyes piercing into his nephew's.

Neji bent his head like a good little servant and prepared the tea.

* * *

Naruto's cerulean eyes scanned the crowded classroom for a glimpse of midnight blue hair. The Hyuuga's invasion of his thoughts was most unwelcome(and foreign) to him, leaving him with an unsatiated desire to confront her. And I wouldn't know what to say, he thought distractedly. All he knew was, the moment she opened her mouth he hated her.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Haruno-san kissing up to the Uchiha, as usual. He snorted contemptuously and looked away. Such pathetic overtures disgusted him. He could barely even fathom how a narcissistic brooder held the attention of the entire female population in class. He held back an instinctive curl of the lip. The Uchiha seemed the kind of person to just snap and let loose one day. There was always a disturbing glint in his eyes that left the demon container unsettled.

Allowing himself a frustrated huff, he turned his gaze to Haruno-san. Despite his host's personal opinion, Yoko disliked her immensely, going so far as to forbid him from referring to her as "Sakura". He didn't know why he liked her in the first place. Whenever this question came up in their conversations, the Kyuubi would blame early hormones, then force him to do an extra hour of training. Maybe it was her outward beauty(she made the color pink look attractive) or because she was fixated on Sasuke and not him.

A few students leered at him as they passed. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't budge from his position against the wall. Though his eyes were closed, he was really alert. His sense of smell, which was not a as powerful as that of an Inuzuka's, was enough to tell him that Iruka had entered the room, along with a few other adult individuals he did not recognize. Then another scent hit his nostrils, and his eyes opened just in time to see the Third Hokage disappear into a back room.

_Not the old man...damn...hope he didn't hear about yesterday..._Although he couldn't help but smirk, knowing the most powerful shinobi in the village paid constant attention to him, much to the envy of the other students. The Sandaime was the only person(other than the Kyuubi) whom he considered truly precious. He was, after all, the one who supplied him with money and a home. And, he suspected, he was the person who left Kyu on his doorstep years ago on his birthday.

Another, familar scent wafted into the room and then, just as he expected, the little Hyuuga entered, looking this way and that before taking her seat quietly, where she promptly opened a book and read for the next half an hour. Every so often she would look around, as if she knew she were being watched.

_Her skills are horrible...I'm not even hiding, yet she doesn't see me. Yoko, what do you see in this girl?_

The Kyuubi didn't answer.

"S'up?" Kiba sauntered over, hands in his pockets. For once he left the hood of his jacket down, exposing the unruly brown locks that lay underneath. Akamaru sniffed, then began nipping his toes through the sandals.

"Nothing." Naruto smirked lightly, daring him to go on. The guy was annoying as hell.

Kiba took the invitation gladly. "Sooo," he said slipping an arm around his shoulders. "Are you nervous?"

"Feh? Why?"

"Oh, I dunno." Kiba shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Maybe because we-" He stopped and scratched his head.

"Say it before I bite you."

The Inuzuka held up both hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay. I only meant, since the Bunshin no jutsu is the one we have to nail in order to pass." He stooped to pick up Akamaru and stuff him inside the front of his coat. "Not like it'll matter, I mean, I've seen you in action and..." He looked around to see the blond wasn't listening to him anymore; on the contrary, he seemed to find more entertainment in banging his head repeatedly into the wall. "Er...what's wrong?"

"Didn't you(_bam_)notice? They do this(_bam_)every semester I'm(_bam_) here." He sighed, pressing his forehead to the wall.

"They do what? And stop doing that, you're cracking the wall."

"Who cares about the damn wall? They know that is the one jutsu I can't get...and they fail me for it every single time. No matter how good I am with everything else, they wind up seeing only my mistakes." _Iruka-sensei, Haruno-san...even the old man...only he just hides it..._

Kiba shrugged. "Maybe it's you." Naruto's ears perked up. "I'm just saying, maybe if you quit tormenting the village and pulling pranks on people, the examiners will take you seriously. Just a thought," he added when the demon container fixed him with a cold glare.

"You think I haven't tried?" His voice raised slightly; a few of the nearby students stopped to watch. "Unlike you, I don't have a family that-" The Inuzuka's eyes widened, and Naruto broke off, remembering the young Hyuuga's contempt-filled words the night before:

"_...There are always others who are worse off, so don't go looking for pity because in the end, you're just as bad as the people that make your life miserable!"_

Was that what he was doing? Looking for pity when everyone turned their backs on him? Was he really that starved for attention? Why should he try to help a village that shunned him, that did him more harm than good?

_No_, he thought firmly to himself, and for the Kyuubi's benefit._ I can do better without them. I don't have to change myself to make everyone else happy. One day they will all regret ever treating me like this._

He was nearly overwhelmed by a surge of emotion that welled from the Kyuubi's spirit. Anger, sadness, and a little pride...was Yoko having these feelings on his behalf?

Kiba was getting impatient. "Well? The point I was trying to get across is that they think you are too immature to be made a genin. Grow up, Naruto. What use would you be to the village if all you do is fool around? I honestly can't see you becoming Hokage." A few of the students watching cheered; the demon container paid them no mind. Inside, he felt betrayed. First Yoko, now Kiba, his closest friend?

The Kyuubi watched this all through his host's eyes, torn between comforting him and staying quiet to let him learn his lesson._**'Aw, screw the lesson...I'll be there for my kit...'**_

Naruto swallowed the desire to cry and fixed the Inuzuka with a cold glare. "That's exactly my point, Kiba. Everyone sees my flaws, never my good qualities. You are doing the same." Akamaru growled while his master looked away. A ball of anger rose within the depths of the Kyuubi's seal. _He's doing it again...he's refusing to look me in the eye...no one ever does..._

Suppressing an instinctive growl, he pushed himself off the wall and stood in front of his former friend, arms crossed. He was distinctly aware that the Hyuuga girl from before was right there; she was looking at him over Kiba's shoulder with an expression akin to that of horror.

"H-hey...what are you doing?" Kiba stared at him with wide eyes; he felt the presence of death within the room, emanating from the Uzumaki. He didn't reply; the fear in his friend's eyes left him with a desire to do more than just scare him.

_**Careful, kit..**_.the Kyuubi advised as his host stepped even closer; his next words made the Inuzuka's blood run cold: "Then maybe I don't want to be there for the village." Kiba gulped audibly. "Maybe I want to des-"

"Okay, class! I think it's about time we get started with the examinations." Iruka's calm voice echoed throughout the classroom. The door to the back room was open, and the proctors could be seen talking quietly amongst themselves. "This time, we will do things differently. First, I want you all to know we will be staging the exam at training ground number 5. I trust you all know where it is?"

Hushed whispers broke out throughout the classroom; Hinata glanced questioningly at Iruka who gave her an encouraging smile. He didn't seem to notice the tense looks on both Naruto and Kiba's faces.

"Isn't that outside the village?" A student asked.

Iruka nodded as he flipped through some pages in his clipboard. "That's right. The village council has decided to make some adjustments to the testing in order to better gauge the specialty of each genin. This is more efficient in deciding what types of genin teams we'll be sending out."

Naruto turned challenging eyes to his teacher, giving Kiba an opportunity to release the breath he'd been holding. "So what's different about it, then? So far as I'm concerned, the Bunshin no Jutsu is the one we must pass in order to graduate, right?"

"Yes, Naruto." Iruka answered patiently. "And before you complain about it, you would have graduated last semester if you had only studied more and learned that technique." With that, he turned back to the rest of the class, apparently done with the demon container. But Naruto wasn't done yet.

"So,"he began slowly. Iruka glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "You say no one can graduate without passing the Bunshin no Jutsu, right?"

"As I've said before, yes, Naruto," Iruka said warily. The boy was getting at something, he was sure.

"Then," He started, looking around to make sure everyone was listening. "How come I was left back last semester, when half the graduating class failed that part of the test?" He hoped, at the very least, Kiba would back him up. When he caught the Inuzuka's eye, all he did was look away guiltily.

The rest of the class looked expectantly at their sensei, curious to hear the answer of such a query. They disliked the blond nin, yes, but a deed as unfair as _that_ needed an explanation. But Iruka's lips were unusually tight. He had no intention of answering that question. Or, rather, he wasn't allowed to.

"Class," He voice rose slightly. "To answer Naruto's question about the difference between last year's exams and this years, for the first time, we will be doing the entire exam outside the village. While we will be testing your chakra control and your weapons skill like in prior skills, there are other attributes and capabilities the council hope to measure in all of you. Speed, strength and stamina, to name a few. For those of you who have awakened your Blood limits, or wish to show off your clan's special abilities, you have the option of being tested for that also."

Haruno Sakura raised a hand, bouncing lightly on tiptoe to be seen.

"Yes, Sakura?"

Sakura blushed cutely, making Naruto momentarily forget his anger over the fact that Iruka hadn't answered his last question. "I was wondering if having a Blood Limit is needed to have a better chance at passing?"

"Not at all. We desire only to evaluate how far anyone may have gotten in learning their clan techniques. Though this part of the exam is optional, no extra points will be given to those who take it."

"Oh, okay." She sat down, but not before sending Sasuke an admiring glance. Naruto felt himself throw up a little.

Iruka's calm gaze scanned the room while at the same time avoiding that of the irate Kyuubi container. "Any more questions?" he asked, feeling weary all of a sudden.

"No, Iruka-sensei," the class chorused.

"Then you may go. You must be there in three hours. Spend your time wisely."

Naruto "hmphed" and sauntered out first, but not without sending Kiba a hostile, yet hurt glare that made the Inuzuka narrow his eyes in return. The rest of the class filed out, a few of them eager to do some warm-up training before the exam. Iruka made as if to go after the demon container, then stopped, raw guilt flickering in his eyes. With one last sigh he went to the back room where the Hokage and the test proctors waited.

Hinata glanced around, unsure of what to do. She wasn't exactly close to the other girls in class, so hanging out with them was not an option. She much rather enjoyed the company of boys. Spending most of her time with male cousins had that effect on her. Besides, the girls she knew were too cunning, and concerned themselves only with boys and whatnot. The only one she thought worthy of spending time with was Tenten, though that was a rarity since the tomboy was constantly out on missions with Neji.

Then she noticed Kiba, who was busy trying to comfort a whimpering Akamaru.

"Don't worry, Aka. The dobe is just in a bad mood. I won't let him hurt us." The puppy whimpered once more, then licked his master's cheek, bringing a smile to his face. Touched by the scene, Hinata cautiously approached the pair, who seemed not to notice her.

"Um...h-hello." She managed to squeak out.

"What do you want?" Kiba turned a suspicious glare on her.

Though she tried not to, her face turned red and she nervously twiddled her fingers.

"I...I think your p-puppy is...c-cute." She drew a hand nervously through her short hair as Kiba relaxed a little. "C-can I pet him?" His eyes widened.

All signs of irritation fled Kiba's face as he unhesitatingly put the puppy in her arms. Hinata smiled shyly at him as Akamaru climbed inside the front of her sweatshirt and gave her a sloppy puppy kiss. And Kiba suddenly wished he were in Akamaru's place.

* * *

Naruto had arrived at an area close to the training ground. He had no desire to be the first there, so he lounged lazily on the branch of a nearby tree. This gave him a clear view of the clearing where the testing was to take place. It was really nothing but a large grassy area, not to mention a man-made lake that was situated within the training ground. The lake was most likely was made specially for the exam, since it was absent two months prior to it.

_**Hey. Kit. Feeling nervous? **_Naruto nearly fell from his perch. He had gotten so used to the Kyuubi staying quiet, that he was completely unprepared for when he felt inclined to speak.

_Oh, so now you're speaking to me?_

_**Did you not get the point of what I was doing? It was called the silent treatment, fool. Ugh, never mind. At least it seemed to work, anyway.**_

_What do you mean?_

_**Don't think I wasn't paying attention to your training, kit. And I have to say, you impressed me. **_The Kyuubi noted his host's instinctive stiffening at the compliment right before he felt the rush of happiness that flooded his body._** 'The wonders a meaningless praise has on this kid...was this what he needed after all?'**_

"Thanks, Yoko,"the boy said softly, abandoning his thought dialogue.

_**Yeah, yeah. Just don't let your head get big.**_

All was quiet for a moment; Naruto stared at the overhead clouds through the dense canopy of the trees around him.

Birds chirped, followed by a pained shriek that made the entire forest go quiet. Something non-human was just killed. Judging by the sound, a hare or mink.

"Hey, Yoko?"

_**Yeah?**_

"I was just wondering...did you say that to make me feel better?" The demon fox chuckled, a low rumble rising within his chest. _**Now why would I do a nice thing like that? No, it was the truth. You demonstrated twice the drive and stamina I've ever seen you perform with. It awakened me to the fact that you can do even better than the paltry exercises I set you every day.**_

Naruto paled, knuckles gripping the branch beneath him until they turned white. He knew what was coming next. "Y-you don't mean..."

_**That's right, my kit! I'm taking you straight to the top! From now on, I will keep you training from morning to evening, dawn till dusk, until you get internal bleeding! Hah! You thought you could hide your power from me, boy? Trying to slack on your training, right? Oh, you had me fooled all right-**_

The young demon container pulled his goggles over his eyes and literally felt himself become buried under the Kyuubi's never-ending speech. With a little luck, he'd be over before the exam started.

When Yoko stopped, he never noticed until about ten minutes later; the Kyuubi's speeches always made a buzz in his head. Once his mind cleared, he sat up groggily and checked the position of the sun. The sun was almost in the middle of the sky, meaning it was afternoon, and time to get to the training ground.

Just as he was about to jump down a pair of familiar voices sounded from right below his perch. Swiftly he crawled forward on the branch until he was hidden by the leaves under and around him. There, he was able to see the proceedings below. What he saw made his insides burn with anger. Without knowing it he growled softly.

The Hyuuga girl and Kiba were walking side by side, so close their fingers brushed occasionally. Akamaru sat contentedly on his master's head, half a dog treat hanging out his mouth. Naruto flattened himself even more against the thin branches, brow furrowing in puzzlement. Since when did this happen? The two people he hated most at the moment together? No; it couldn't be possible.

He strained his ears so he could hear more of their conversation.

"...still think you should take the optional test as well. You should want to show your moves off to the council." The Inuzuka elbowed her playfully. "Right, Hinata-chan?"

"I...I guess...it is s-something my father would w-want me to do." The girl stuttered nervously. Kiba suddenly looked up at where the demon container was hiding; hostile gazes locked for the entirety of a second before he tore them away and went on as if nothing happened.

Naruto sat back as they passed below him, heading to the assigned training area. Hinata? So that's her name... He tested it out aloud, reluctantly liking the feel of her name sliding along his tongue. _How come I never noticed her before? It's like today is the first time I ever saw her in class. Weird, isn't it?_

_**Weird? **_The Kyuubi snorted contemptuously. _**Boy, even I knew her name from the first day you started the academy. It would be hard not to miss her, especially since she sits right next to that vomit-haired monstrosity you call an angel!**_

"Oh, really? I guess it just means I have eyes only for Haruno-san, then." With a small grunt, he launched himself off the branch, all the while keeping his eyes on the couple up ahead.

"Going somewhere, Naruto?" The demon container froze. Slowly, almost painfully, he looked up to meet a pair of dark eyes twinkling down at him from his tree. _Oh, shit. He was right beside me the whole time?_

_**Maybe you would've noticed if you had stopped thinking about that damn girl! I hope he punishes you, you little wretch! I don't care anymore.**_

The Kyuubi could only sit and fume that his plans weren't working. The Hyuuga girl that had caught his eye no longer seemed to hold an interest in his host, and frankly, he could see why. _**The things I do for this kid...ugh!**_

Irate he lay down on the dry ground, teeth bared and hackles raised. A old, yet familiar scent surrounded him, the musty smell of ash and dust filling his nostrils. Unable to resist, he pushed himself to his feet and squeezed his head between the bars of the Yondaime's prison. His jaws parted and shut again, as if they yearned for the feel of soft flesh between them. _**I am being summoned...but now is not the time... **_Mania took over; steel claws scraped the dusty floor of his prison as he pushed against the bars, forcing them to bend forward. Emitting a frustrated roar he backed up several yards, then slammed a shoulder into the bars, making the entire enclosure rattle from the impact. The smell was overpowering; it threatened to force him into suicide if nothing was done about it. Running out of options, he drew a claw down the middle of his chest and smeared the bars of his cage with blood. White fangs gleamed in the darkness of his prison as the demon opened his mouth to fully breath in the scent of warm blood until the old aroma was drowned by that of his life energy. The impulse to break free dwindled away, and the fox threw himself wearily to the floor. _**I am sorry, Master...he is not ready...**_

One eye closed in pain, he shakily glanced up at the chakra-enhanced bars that enclosed his hulking form. A weak growl escaped the demon's lips as he spotted a potential weakness; three of the bars had been ripped away. The seal was damaged. He was free to go. Yoko lowered his muzzle slowly to the bloody ground, ignoring the sticky liquid as it clung to his fur.

_**I've stopped him...for now.**_

* * *

Hinata stayed close by Kiba as they slowly approached Iruka, who was waiting patiently with several other academy students by his side. There were still some missing, including, much to Hinata's surprise, Naruto. The blond ninja-in-training was almost always impeccably early for class; it seemed unusual that he did not have the same devotion towards an important exam. She found herself concerned over his well-being. Did something bad happen to him along the way?

She sighed, forgetting that Kiba was right next to her. His eyes had widened in concern when he caught the downward tilt of her lips, and the way her pearly eyes seemed glazed. Akamaru whined helplessly, and Kiba understood. Something was wrong.

"Hinata...if you're nervous, you don 't have to hide it from us." That seemed to do the trick; the far-off look on her face had vanished, leaving only one of momentary confusion before she fully grasped his question. She shook her head and smiled faintly at her new friend. "I-it's n-nothing, Kiba-san..." Kiba stared at her dumbly for a few seconds. "You should smile like that more often. You look more cute that way."

"Wh-what? Oh, um..." Unable to face the grinning Inuzuka, she stared at the ground, aware of the persistent blush that spread across her face. Kiba couldn't see how she reacted the way she did; it was just a complement. "I'm serious. You really should smile more." The Hyuuga looked up with confusion written plainly on her face. Before she could reply he pressed a fingertip to either corner of her lips and moved them up into a smile. Akamaru barked happily, and his master broke into a toothy grin. "That's better,"he added, seeing the startled expression on the girl's face.

Her lower lip trembled; then, without warning she let out a small, shy giggle. Kiba tugged playfully at her lips, enjoying that he had managed to make someone happy. Kami, it was a great feeling. "K-Kiba-kun! That hurts!" She laughed, her blush becoming more prominent on her pale skin.

Kiba's eyes widened as he released her. "Hey! You stopped calling me Kiba-san!" At her horrified expression he hastily added "But I don't mind...I don't like being called 'san'"

"Oh..." Then, just for the fun of it, they burst out laughing once again.

"I'm glad to see you two are having fun." A low voice from behind them. They whirled around, only to gape in horror as the Sandaime chuckled and looked down at them.

"H-Hokage-Sama,"Hinata stuttered and bowed hastily. Kiba quickly followed her example, his expression one of awe as the old Shinobi nodded and swept past them, white robes billowing out behind him.

Following him was a rather subdued-looking Naruto, who's sullen demeanor disappeared as soon as he laid eyes on them. Cerulean orbs met hers for a second, betraying no emotion she could detect without the Byakugan. Akamaru, who was currently in Kiba's arms growled menacingly at him.

Naruto only wrinkled his nose in distaste and fixed Kiba with a cold glare before catching up to the Hokage.

Hinata stared wordlessly after him. One part of her wanted to run after him, anything to get him to talk to her again. The other part, which kept her feet rooted to the spot wanted her to do no such thing. It may have been a bit of the Hyuuga blood coming out in her after all; the same blood that was the cause of her clan's arrogance and selfish pride. Maybe it was telling her she was destined for greater things, and chasing after a boy was not one of them.

"Ahem." The sound of Kiba clearing his throat jolted her out of her momentary trance. When someone cleared their throat ( she knew from past experience) nothing good was going to follow.

She turned and faced him, where he stood a few feet behind her with Akamaru crouched threateningly by his side. "Um...y-yes, Kiba-kun?"

"What was _that_ about?" It was then that she noticed Houkou's astral figure standing just over his shoulder. It shook it's head slowly. _**Don't tell him anything.**_

"What was what about?" The Inuzuka stared disbelievingly at her for several seconds before letting out a short, sarcastic laugh. "Are you serious? You mean you didn't notice the way he's been looking at you?"

"Um...no..." She mumbled, avoiding his narrowed gaze. Akamaru's teeth looked very sharp at that moment.

"You're lying to me." His eyes seemed to soften when she nodded slowly to affirm the statement.

Slowly she raised her head until they met eye to eye. "It's n-nothing...um...isn't Iruka-sensei w-waiting for us?" Kiba shrugged and looked at the sky. " We still have about ten minutes left." He commented.

Hinata took that as a cue to continue walking when he grabbed her wrist. Hard.

"K-Kiba-kun?"

"Listen, Hinata. I know I shouldn't say this but..." He swallowed, then looked over her shoulder in the direction Naruto had gone. "I...I think you should stay away from Naruto." Stunned, she stared as he bit his lip, like he was just about to betray a secret.

"Why?" She managed to croak out.

"It's...there's something about him..." Houkou's ears perked. "His chi...it's...different."

Different? Was there anything unusual about Naruto other than the fact that everyone seemed to hate him? And what did he mean by chi?

"Um...Kiba-kun?"

"Mm?" He watched her prod her fingers together nervously. An action he found annoying and cute at the same time.

"What does 'chi' mean?" She didn't notice the shadow looming over her and the Inuzuka before it was too late.

"I am dissatisfied, Hinata. You should know what chi is by now." Came the grave voice of Hiashi Hyuuga as he eyed both students with a critical eye.

Without hesitation she bowed deeply, while signaling discreetly to Kiba to do the same.

"O-ohayo, Father. This is my friend Kiba, of the clan Inuzuka. And Akamaru."

Her father acknowledged the Inuzuka with a curt nod before turning back to his daughter. The Hyuuga Head closed his eyes, a habit he had developed whenever he was about to go into a in-depth lecture. Houkou's projection, thank heavens, had mysteriously disappeared.

"Listen well, daughter." At her nod he went on.

"Chi is the balance between the good forces and the bad energy residing within one being. It is essential in maintaining the mind, body and spirit. Except for a select few, all individuals have an equal amount of both forces in their bodies. Depending on the strength of their spirits, the chi of one man may be proportionately larger than that of the lesser other." Hiashi opened his pale eyes and gazed steadily at the anxious heiress. "But then, I cannot blame you for not knowing. I have brought you up knowing that very definition by it's synonym 'ki'."

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Of course she knew what 'ki' was. Kiba, on the other hand, gaped at the older man, openly impressed by his expansive vocabulary. (Later on he would tell Hinata her father used too many big words. Hinata would then respond by saying if he did, she never noticed.)

Satisfied that he had enlightened the future Head of his family, he regarded Kiba carefully. "Your mother is Tsume-sama, is she not?" At Kiba's mumbled "yeah" he smiled faintly. "Ah, yes. Charming woman." His words were a thinly veiled insult; Akamaru had to bite down on his leg to prevent him from jumping the elder Hyuuga.

"Anyway, Hinata,"he continued, ignoring the irate Inuzuka. "...I could not help but to eavesdrop on your conversation with the boy." The "boy" was currently flashing the 'bird' as well as other rude gestures behind his back. "And I agree with your decision to take the extra test. As one of the judges, I want to see how your training has progressed since the last time you and Hanabi had a bout. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, Father. I...I do."

"Good. Oh, and Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"You would do well to listen to your friend's advice..." With that he disappeared in a puff of gray smoke.

* * *

Iruka glanced at his watch, then at the crowd of students waiting expectantly in front of him. _Uzumaki isn't here yet...neither is Inuzuka, or Hyuuga... _He knew that if they came late, they would automatically be disqualified from the exam. Despite the fact that two of them were the most troublesome students(and one the most quiet) the academy teacher was especially fond of them. _And, _he realized with a jolt. _The three of them may make an excellent team...as long as one would step up and take a more assertive role. But then, that would leave out Hyuuga, as she is the most submissive of the three. And neither Uzumaki nor Inuzuka would be willing to listen to each other. _He gazed curiously at Nara Shikamaru, then Haruno Sakura, who was arguing heatedly with Yamanaka Ino in hushed whispers.

_Nara...that one is from Asuma's advanced senjutsu class...it would be a waste of a good brain to put him with Uzumaki and Inuzuka. He may be a little too much for Hyuuga to handle...that girl needs a more placid and motivated teammate. Actually, now that I think about it, I've never really seen her in action...how would I know what type of team to put her in?_

A collective gasp rising from his students snapped him out of his reverie, just in time for him to bow low to the Hokage as he came up to him with Naruto, one hand laying reassuringly on the demon container's shoulder. He was glad to see, as he straightened up, that both the Inuzuka and the shy Hyuuga heiress had arrived already. _Good...now we can get started._

"Now that we are all here, the exams shall commence. In order to evaluate your skills as closely as possible, you will all be divided into groups of three. Your partners will have qualities that adhere to the type of team you may be put on. However, they may not necessarily make up your genin team when you graduate, so keep in mind that this is short term."

Nervous whispers broke out among the hushed students, and most of them pushed desperately closer to their comrades as if it would affect their sensei's decision. Only Naruto stayed still; he stood stoically by the Hokage's side and glared impassively at his classmates, and was struck with the realization of how perfectly naive and childish they were. He'd never noticed it before, but never before had he seen them act like ninjas. What he saw in front of him were a bunch of noisy, pudgy kids that thought they were shinobi whenever they did a simple technique like the Henge no Jutsu.

Their outlook on their future careers were ephemeral; they simply had no idea what it meant to be a ninja, what they would eventually end up doing. _Is this the best Konoha can come up with?_

_**No...**_Yoko rumbled. _**You have seen through this test, kit. Out of this lot, I can only see about nine of them...that includes you...that have a chance at passing this exam. Those ones carry themselves with poise and dignity, and are not scrambling around for the company of their peers. The village does not want that type of immaturity. They need ninja that will adjust to change...or any situation as gracefully as possible, without complaint and without having to run to someone else for support. You may seem immature, but I have stressed to you time and time again of what you'd face if you chose this lifestyle. You will surpass them all**_.

_I really am above them...high above all of them, right, Yoko?_

_**Of course...my little Prince. **_The fox had no idea of the impact the nickname made on his host; Naruto brushed quickly at a wetness in the corner of his eye. Such affection was rarely shown by the demon king.

"So here are the assigned teams. Team one will consist of Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura, and Aburame Shino."

_**That sort of makes sense...those three are the smartest in class. And they'll probably work together as a team. Unlike some people I know, **_the blond thought as he glared hard at Sasuke. The Uchiha merely sent him a cool look before raising his chin a little higher._ He'd better not end up one my team._

_**Remember what I said about adjusting to change gracefully?**_

_Yeah, Yoko. Sorry about that. It's just that the guy bugs me and-_

_**We all have to work with people we don't like. Deal with it.**_

_Stupid fox._

_**Dumb kid**_.

"Team 3," Iruka went on. "Will consist of Akimichi Chouji, Yamanaka Ino..." Ino shot a disgusted look at her pudgy teammate. "...and Uchiha Sasuke."

_It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen...although, now that I think about it Sasuke does seem to be able to be a leader...I'll give him credit for that. _The Kyuubi rumbled approvingly at his host's admittance. _And I don't know anything about Yamanaka or Akimunchy...but they seem stupid enough to what he says. No problems there. _Yoko murmured quietly in agreement.

They both listened distractedly as each team was called, every once in a while commenting privately to each other about how successful a team would be if so-and-so were put together.

Some of the students grumbled under their breaths, clearly unsatisfied of their placements. Sakura, as usual, was glaring at Ino, frosty green eyes tinged with envy as the blonde stuck her tongue out and grabbed the Uchiha's arm. Chouji had meanwhile dug out a bag of chips and was offering it to Shikamaru and Shino. Needless to say, all that was left were crumbs.

Hinata stood nervously by Kiba's side, Akamaru tucked safely in the front of her hoodie. Not even the pup's friendly licks, nor the Inuzuka's encouraging made her feel any better. As much as she knew she wasn't supposed to, she wished fervently that she would at least end up on Kiba's team.

"_Don't worry. If you have to fight anyone, go straight for the balls. You're a girl. The proctors will understand." Kiba said, demonstrating a low kicking motion. _

"_B-but what if i-it's a girl...like Sakura-san or Ino-san?" She questioned worriedly, twisting a strand of hair around her finger._

"_Kick 'em in their balls, too. What's the difference?"_

Kiba had, though in his own lewd way, managed to instill some bit of confidence in her and she felt safer with him around. She glanced quickly at Naruto, who stood in front facing the class with the Sandaime by his side. Some of her jealous classmates were complaining earlier that the Uzumaki was always getting "special treatment" from the Hokage. Of course, she knew nothing of what was really going on but it did seem that way.

"Team 7 will consist of...Hyuuga Hinata..." Naruto glanced sharply at Iruka at the mention of the heiress's name, then shifted his gaze over to the petite girl. She was holding in her breath, the creme-colored pup in her arms whimpering softly. "Inuzuka Kiba..." Hinata broke into a shy smile while Kiba grinned and elbowed the younger girl in a good-natured manner. "And..." _I am so going to regret this, _Iruka thought painfully "...Uzumaki Naruto." The looks on the faces of his teammates turned hostile. Well, Kiba and Akamaru's did, but Hinata just gazed at him curiously.

_You see, Yoko? I knew he was going to pull something like this. He knew Kiba and I were fighting earlier; now he wants to put me on a team with the ass just to make sure I don't pass. He and that mangy dog are just gonna get in my way. _His eyes narrowed dangerously.

_**And Hyuuga?**_ The Kyuubi supplied.

_**She looks too soft to even take a hit, let alone make one. She's too small, she's not as thin as Sakura, and she's probably all slow because of all that clothing she wears. And she's just plain weird...and dark.**_

_**I can get what you mean by dark( the chick wears nothing but dark colors)but where'd you get weird from? You just pulled that word from your butt and tossed it around! How do you know she's weird?**_

_Let's just stop talking about this...there's nothing I can do about it anyway._

"Is something bothering you, Naruto?" The Sandaime rasped as Iruka began reading off the names of Team 8. All the while he had kept his withered hand on the boy's shoulder, in his own way protecting him from the penetrating glares of the other students.

"Nah, Old Man." He gave the Hokage a saucy grin. "I was just thinking about who'll be testing me, that's all. I don't want it to be like last time."

"Last time, I was out on an important mission. I'm sorry I couldn't have given you my full attention, but I had to consider the safety of the village."

"You know...I hate it when you have to leave..." The boy mumbled under his breath.

"And why is that?"

"Because no one else gives a damn. As soon as you leave, they pick on me and step all over me and treat me as if I'm this huge monster that needs to be locked up. They follow your orders and never disobey me, then when you are gone..." He trailed of, unwilling to say more. The Hokage nodded understandingly. "Those people, Naruto, are what I call cowards. And the only way to get a coward to lay off is to give him hell, if you catch my drift."

Naruto smirked. Looks like the old man knew a thing or two about his pranking.

"Now," Iruka said, after naming Team Nine. "You will split into your Teams, and await further

instruction from your assigned examiners.

"Good luck,"The old man whispered encouragingly.

"Mm."

Sarutobi watched as his young protege joined his teammates, close enough so that they could be identified as a team, yet far enough to indicate his clear disapproval of them. He crossed his arms and ignored the suspicious look the Inuzuka sent his way. The Hokage frowned. A rumor had recently begun spreading among the higher clans that gained his immediate attention. No one knew for sure, but it was said that somewhere among them was a child sealed with the Gobi demon. This particular demon, he knew, was among the most dangerous, having attempted-and succeeded-in wiping out an entire clan, and part of another.

After much research and thought, it became logical as to who was sealed with the beast.

Inuzuka Kiba. The Inuzuka clan worshiped the god Inu, and next to the Great Dog who's likeness was painted in the stars, the Gobi was the closest thing they could have of it. _Yet, during her attack they managed to seal her without the notice of anyone...and they did it right at the end, when the last member of _that _clan was killed...I may have to look further into this...Tsume-Sama is not the kind of woman who kills for power..._

In any case, he needed to be sure this was the one. If the dog demon was united with the Nine Tails once more, it was over for the village.

In the past, the Gobi was a good beast, closely associated with the First Hokage, though their relationship was unknown. Her relationship status with the Kyuubi was also unknown. It was also said the demon had a connection with the Forest of Death...although that was questionable. He grunted softly at a small ache in his back. He was simply too old to take matters into his own hands.

"Tenzou," he whispered into the small wireless headset hidden under his headdress.

"Yes, Professor?" Tenzou's slightly muffled voice answered.

"Take that mask off and get over here. And please deploy two of my personal guard over to Training Ground 44...I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

There was slight hesitation on the other end. "I understand."

"Good. I'll be joining them in a while. Meanwhile, I have a mission for you here..."

Seeing that the students had separated into their assigned groups, Iruka cleared his throat for attention. "Now that we have that over with, it is time for you to meet your temporary captains. Hokage-Sama?" He nodded at the Sandaime.

"Thank you," The old man replied, stepping forward with his hands clasped behind his back. "Today I have chosen only my best Jounin to evaluate each of you. But before we get to that, I would like to tell you about the three types of squads we are looking for among this group."

"Well, what are they?" Shikamaru muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. The Hokage eyed him critically. "I was getting to that,"he replied in a good-natured tone."

"The first is the Ryoushi- that's the hunter, or Tracker- squad, which consists of some of the more hardier tasks expected of a shinobi. As well as regular training, tracking squads are required to fine-tune their strongest senses and build up their speed, stamina and endurance, not to mention have courage, common sense, and advanced knowledge of navigating -and fighting- in any and all types of terrain and weather conditions. The body type best for this line of work are those with hard, compact muscles and thick limbs. We need middleweights that have the necessary speed and stamina. A tracker-nin must also be able to take, dodge, and make hits without faltering or losing focus. Catching a person without killing him is harder than it looks. The same skills apply to search and rescue, another duty of our tracking squads."

_**Huh. I bet you fifty ryo your girl will end up on that squad. And Inuzuka.**_

_Who's my girl? Sa-I mean, Haruno-san?_

_**Just call her Sakura. And no, I don't mean her. She's too skinny and soft for that line of work. I meant that Hyuuga, dammit! Think about it and you'll see my point.**_

Frowning, Naruto eyed the heiress, who flinched away from his scrutinizing gaze. Kiba looked from one to the other, and back again, but decided to hold his tongue. Whatever happened between the two of them, he'd find out eventually.

_I guess...her swimming skill would come in useful...and she looks like she has a bit of fat-_

_**Muscle, you mean.**_

_...muscle on her. She also looks nice and gentle..those qualities are good when rescuing someone like a kid. Still, she looks nothing like Ino or Sakura, though...she's actually pudgy compared to them._

_**And you're pudgy compared to Uchiha! Now just shut and listen to the old codger. I swear, everything's a song and dance for you, you-**_

_Ssh! I'm trying to listen to this!_

_**...punk.**_

"The second squad we need is one that specializes in senjutsu-strategy techniques-and retainment. Our Senjutsu teams are made up of the most intelligent, cunning, and able-bodied shinobi. The key that makes these teams successful are the fact that each member will follow their leader's orders without complaint, or hesitation. Shinobi will be subject to missions that mainly involve deciphering codes, making up and improving battle tactics, working undercover, and capturing those that may hold vital information to the village."

_I can see Shikamaru getting into that one...and Sakura and Shino as well. They already make a balanced team just the way they are._

"And last, we need a team that specializes in mainly ninjutsu, and some genjutsu. They will make up the Kougeki squad...that is the full-force attack team." The Hokage continued. "Members of this team must excel in chakra control, ninjutsu, and a variety of attacks that cause devastating damage in all ranges. Though most missions will involve fighting, others may put you in situations in which the life of another is in your hands, and you must protect them at all costs. In many cases, one must even fight to kill. The Kougeki and Taijutsu teams are the main combat squads in Konoha."

_Maybe...maybe that's where I belong, Yoko! That looks like the fastest way I'll be Hokage...by demonstrating how good I am on every mission, they would have to notice me, whether they like it or not._

_**Who are "they"?**_

_Every frickin person in the village, of course!_

A student who's name Naruto couldn't bother to remember raised his hand. "But what about a team for taijutsu? Isn't taijutsu as important as all the other ones?"

Sarutobi nodded. "Of course. However, our most recent Taijutsu squad, Team Gai, is the most advanced and powerful for their age group. Taijutsu squads are deployed for their skills in attacking-and killing- silently and effectively, without any use of ninjutsu that will draw attention. Due to their limited use of ninjutsu, they convert chakra into stamina, the exact opposite of how Kougeki squad members channel their power. None of this graduating class exhibit skills even close to theirs, so we won't be looking at taijutsu as much."

_Team Gai...that's Neji's team. I had no idea they were that strong...and Father wanted me to be placed in a fighting team like his...how can I get strong if I can't fight? _Thinking of her powerful cousin made Hinata shiver involuntarily; not a day went by in which she didn't fear his ambition would get the better of him and lead him to kill her for her place as Family Head. _At this rate, even Hanabi will stay stronger than me...or worse, what if she decides to challenge me?_

_**Hush, pup and stop putting yourself down! You could learn to be a hunter-nin...one who specializes in search and rescue. I will make you stronger, yes, but you have to realize you don't have a fighter's spirit. Not like that Uzumaki child. Whatever squad you end up in, I'll make sure you can get past your weaknesses. If you're so worried about your cousin and Hanabi, make sure they know who's boss! You rule them, so step up and act like it!**_

"I...I guess you're right...Father might like me better...if I'm more..assertive." She whispered aloud without thinking. Unbeknownst to the heiress, the Kyuubi container had heard every word, and was now eyeing her curiously.

The Hokage raised one arm fluidly, and a dozen Jounin in uniform appeared behind him, shoulder to shoulder. "I will now be assigning you your captains. For the beginning part of the exam, you will act out a mission that will test your limits. Your captain will be there, not to assist but to observe and take note of your strengths, weaknesses, and most important of all, teamwork. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads. "As I expected. Here we go." The students leaned forward on their toes to listen. "Team One's Captain will be..." The old man smiled faintly. "Sarutobi Asuma," A great, burly man with tanned skin and a striking resemblance to the Hokage stepped forward, a crooked cigarette pressed between his lips. "Well, what are you waiting for?" He growled at his students. "Get over here."

Muttering something along the lines of "why did I have to get this guy?" Shikamaru led his team over to their new captain, whereupon the big man grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him roughly. "A smart-ass, eh, Shikamaru-chan?" He grinned. "Just because you can best me in one game of shogi doesn't mean you have what it takes to be a ninja." The Hokage chuckled lowly at their playful banter and continued listing captains.

_**That Asuma guy is good...if I can remember correctly, he was a valued tactician at a young age.**_

_How do you know all this if you've been inside me this entire time?_

The fox stared at the broken bars of his cage, his pointed muzzle spreading in a wide grin. _**I have my ways...**_

It was only when the Sandaime got to Team 3 that Naruto bothered to listen once more. It would be just like them to give Sasuke a good captain.

"Team 3's Captain will be...Hatake Kakashi."

The Kyuubi nearly roared in surprise. _**The Hatake Kakashi? Why, he was but a mere kit the last time I saw-or heard-of him. Heh. That kid was the first one to get a good hit on me, when I came to this village. Of course, his chidori was nought but a tickle, but his talent in recomposing chakra almost exceeds mine!**_

_He really is that powerful?_

_**One of the best, kid. You'd better hope he's your leader when you pass.**_

The Silver-haired jounin nodded loftily at his temporary team and continued reading a blue book titled "Icha Icha Techniques".

_I wonder why he wears his hitai-ate like that..._

_**Ah, a tragic story indeed, boy.**_

_What happened?_

_**If you get on his team, maybe I'll tell you. Ah! He's just finished off reading Team 5. Yours is seven, right? Then listen carefully.**_

"And that's all for Team 6," The Sandaime murmured. "Team Seven's Captain is our newest jounin Yuuhi Kurenai." He indicated a dark-haired woman with blood-red eyes behind him. "Since she has just finished her jounin exams and is in a delicate condition as of the moment, she will only be evaluating you during the oral and demonstration parts of this exam. For the mission part, your captain will be Yamato, of...the tracking corps." Naruto could almost swear something passed between the two men as Yamato briefly met the Hokage's gaze. He had piercing black eyes, and wore a hitai-ate similar to that of the Nidaime.

"Greetings. I wish you the best of luck today." The jounin nodded politely. Kiba and Hinata exchanged glances, then returned his greeting while Naruto grunted in acknowledgment.

_**This guy's chakra..it's so familiar...but I don't like it. Something's wrong with it. It's like...deja vu all over again, it's just...I can't quite place it. Kit...be very careful around this guy.**_

"For this mission, each team must retrieve a scroll on the other side of this training area, which covers an area of fifteen square miles. Along the way you will encounter obstacles and enemies alike, and maybe a few friends along the way,"Sarutobi gazed meaningfully at his protege. "Your team may leave at any time, just remember this mission must be completed within three hours for full points in time management. Understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," The class mumbled like a bunch of mindless drones.

"Good, and another thing." The Hokage stood taller and stared the would-be graduates in the eye. "Remember you are shinobi of Konoha, the Tree-leaves village. I consider every one of you a leaf, weak individually but mighty in unity, to support the great tree that is our village. This is no contest, so I expect you to regard each other as comrades, and not as enemies. I trust you to make the right decisions, and not let your own ambition get in the way of everyone else. That is all for now." A spiral of leaves flashed around him, and in a final sweep of white robes he was nowhere to be seen.

_**Didn't he teach you that? The 'body flicker'?**_

_Yeah, only he doesn't want anyone else to know. The Council hates it when he teaches me stuff. They should do well to thank him. If not for the Old Man I would've left and joined your kin._

_**You can say that again.**_

Hinata glanced at her blond teammate, then inched slowly away from him. If things went as planned, then hopefully she could make up with him. Ever since the incident from the day before, his overall attitude had taken a turn for the worst. Maybe Kiba could help; after all, he _was _friends with the Uzumaki until now. She took one step forward before her wrist was caught in an impenetrable grip. Struggling slightly, she turned only to meet the startling cerulean eyes of her now former crush.

"Wh-what?" She hissed, both annoyed and scared.

"What the hell is your problem? Why were you talking to yourself?" _Oh no...he heard._

"It...it's none of your business!" She whispered before yanking her arm out his own and stood looking at him, eyes wide, in silence. He raised an eyebrow.

"You..."

"A-ano...wh-what?"

"You're weird."

* * *

Training Ground 44, a.k.a Forest of Death- Ichidou no Nekomata

_In this Forest all alone,_

_Resides an idol,_

_Trapped in Stone._

_A forked tail,_

_Two wings of ash,_

_A cloak of death,_

_The Shinigami's sash,_

_An exchange of souls desired,_

_For Death's servant is never dead,_

_A restless soul who seeks release,_

_A law of living, a law of bloodshed._

_If one is ignorant,_

_And crosses his path,_

_Touch not his shrine,_

_Devour not his food,_

_Steal not his treasure,_

_Insult not his Master,_

_And one shall be spared._

The owl masked ANBU chuckled at the little 'warning' that was scrawled rather sloppily upon the shrine. "And this is what has the old man in such a worry? Take note of this, boy." He turned toward the younger man crouching next to him in a raccoon mask. "Never take seriously the stories of old men."

"I...I don't know. That message may hold some importance as to what we must investigate today. But all I see is an old statue and...these offerings..."

The older man perked up. "What offerings, Raccoon?"

"In this dish. Here."

And so they were. Upon a golden dish, by the statue's great paws, lay but two moon cakes, and several gold coins with the image of cats carved into the center.

"Moon cakes..." The young man whispered in awe. "I heard people used to send messages in those..."

"What are you thinking, boy? Someone just wrote a little love letter or something to the Shinigami's pet?"

"I...I'm not sure, Owl. But...I think it'd be better if we leave the food-and the money-alone. The Hokage will be here in a few minutes." The raccoon-masked man looked around awkwardly. "I say we sit here and wait, and let him decide what happens from here."

The older man snorted. "Take some initiative, boy. We can't wait around for everything, you know. Never let an opportunity pass you by." He stooped, a gloved hand reaching toward the contents of the dish. "Wh-what are you doing?" The young man asked sharply, instinctively reaching for his katana. "Do you not understand the message?"He sucked in a breath when his partner neither flinched, nor moved away from the offerings.

"Boy..."He growled darkly. "You are ten years too young to be shedding your 'wisdom' to one such as I. Why do you think I was given the code name 'Owl'? Our masks are an insight into our personalities, Raccoon." Ignoring his stunned partner, he snatched up the gold coins and inspected them closely. "Hmph. Stamped with the Seal of Death," he observed aloud before stuffing them in his weapons pouch. "Only a rich noble could have left those. And these moon cakes are fresh." At his fellow ANBU's gasp he pushed the cake-laden dish toward him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Eat already! We just came back from an overnight mission, haven't eaten for nearly twelve hours, and are being forced into this nonsense without any form of rest. The least we deserve is something to eat."

"I have a rice cake left. Please, eat that instead! I'm not hungry, just take it! Owl!"

"No. I will have this instead. It's time I got a bit of what I deserve in this wretched life! If you won't eat, I'll take both for myself."

"Owl...please, _please_ don't do this!" The young man pleaded. He had just been accepted into ANBU and knew nothing about how to handle his current situation. "Stop it!" He screamed, tears streaming down his face as his partner lifted up his mask and bit greedily into the moon cake. "Spit it out!" That only caused him swallow and take in as much of the soft pastry as he could.

"You had your chance, now stop your childish whining! See, look at me! Am I dead yet? No. You deserve this as well. So eat!" With that, he snatched up a large piece of cake, forced open his partner's mouth and shoved it down his throat.

"Ugh...no! This tastes horrible!" Raccoon sat up and coughed as much of it out as he could, going so far as to force himself to retch and throw up the rest.

"Nonsense! It's excellent...it is divine food that only few among us can truly appreci-oh, what is this?" Sticking out the uneaten section of cake was a tiny, rolled-up piece of paper.

Owl frowned. "Looks like it's one of those letters..." Raccoon held his breath as the older man read downward, then widened his eyes at something on the bottom. He dropped the letter and stumbled away, clutching at his throat.

"Owl!" Wasting no time, the young ANBU snatched up the letter and gasped in horror at the words before him.

_If one heeds not the counsel of a god,_

_One is foolish._

_If one steals from the servant of a god,_

_One is foolish._

_If one eats the food of a god,_

_One is foolish._

_If one enjoys the food of a god,_

_One is Sinful._

_If one forces another to eat the food of a god,_

_One is Sinful._

_If one has done all of the above,_

_One is Sinful._

_If the one, Foolish Sinner is reading this now,_

_That One will die by the hands of a god._

"Help!" The Owl-masked ANBU cried as he rushed the statue and jabbed at it with his katana. His eyes were wide with madness, skin red with rage as he hacked away at the seemingly harmless statue. Whatever he saw, Raccoon couldn't. His partner stood frozen to the spot, as if a spirit held both legs in an iron grip.

_**You shall be spared, for you are one who heeded my warning, and found my meal too divine for such a lowly being as yourself . Run away, child, for what comes next is not for the eyes of a young one. A good soul like yourself does not belong here. **_And his legs were moving, jumping, sprinting, all on their own, in the direction of the forest entrance. With a final leap Raccoon surged over the wire fence and crumpled unconscious to the grass below.

Owl hacked crazily at the statue, which by then was enveloped by a cloud of black smoke. Two glowing, purple eyes glared back at him. A huge, wickedly clawed paw shot out; before he could parry the blow it had sliced open his abdomen, leaving his innards to sag downward, the intestines plopping to the ground in one long rope of bile, blood and weak tissue.

The strike should have killed Owl instantly; the same demonic force that attacked him was keeping him alive by sheer willpower. Without wasting time the same, hand-like paw grabbed him around the torso and pulled him closer towards the billowing smoke from whence it came until it completely obscured his vision. Only the purple eyes were visible. It was as if they were looking into the depths of his very soul.

_**You blame others for your failures...you abandoned your family when they needed you most...you attempt to kill a child barely out of the womb...you considered a worthless human as yourself equal to those like I and my master...and all for the sake of pride. My master shall decide your true fate...but I shall end your miserable as of today. **_Each of the beast's claws were nestled against the tiny junction between each rib. Without hesitation he dug his claws in slowly, painfully, the screams of agony emitted from the man acting as a siren's call for death and blood. And he answered her, with every crack of a bone, twist of a joint, every single sheet of blood that spilled thickly to the ground. With a final squeeze the man's entire torso snapped open in a rush of blood as the front and side sections of his rib cage was literally torn from his body. It was then tossed aside, the remnants of his chest plate covering it like a tattered, solid sheet.

His breastbone, which had somehow stayed on stuck upright in the air, the base, which was connected to the collarbone twisted slightly from the effort to remove it. Chunks of warm, bright pink flesh lay exposed to the open air, the smell of death traveling to the farthest reaches of the forest. The predators growled in acknowledgment of the kill, the prey shivered in their dens and crouched low in submission.

Far away, within the soul of their hosts, the Kyuubi, and the Gobi were struck by the knowledge of the Nekomata's faint presence.

One would rejoice quietly and make ready the tides of change, while another would lament silently in anger and sorrow, on behalf of the unknowing host. Such was the way of life.

* * *

That was seriously the hardest(and probably worst) chapter I have ever written for a story. If you have actually taken the time to read all 29 and 1/4 pages of this, I thank you with all my heart. Well, I thank you with whatever there is left of it. Inspiration is kicking me hard in the ass right now, so it's really hard to write out new chapters with school, bad math grades and the constant complaining of my parental units. This story will have NaruHarem in it, but will end as NaruHina, as I have no clue how to end a Harem story.(note: Chica's a straight girl who never pays attention to these types of things) Yes, Haku will be female, to some of you who asked. And just to clear some things up before people start talking:

a) Some of you may think this is too similar to another certain NaruHina story in which Hinata is also sealed with the Gobi no Houkou. My first story, Akatsuki's Sunshine is an ItaHina in which Hinata has the same demon. That story was started all the way in April 10 of 2007, nearly a full three months before that story was published. Judging from the reviews, it is a very good story written by an excellent author and I have no intention of reading it until I finish this one. I have an unhealthy fear of being accused of things I didn't do(for example, plagiarism), so I need to see someone about that. That kind of thing happening just scares me.

b) The works of Gadalla Rune have inspired me(The Person I Admire) and the "Flowers in the Sand", a story by the amber dragonfly which opened my eyes to the fact that five tails(and bijuu ) other than the kyuubi exist. In fact, that is the first fanfiction story I read.

c)Er, nothing else really. Oh, yeah, summoning animals. I'm thinking something like turtles(maybe for Hinata or Naruto), wolverines, snow leopards or salamanders/newts. Please lend me your thoughts, it's 2 in the morning, my hair's all nappy and I got dark circles under my eyes. And I can't find my baby turtle. (Who knew those things can climb out of boxes?)

G'night, and thanks for reading and/or reviewing,

Narutochica. ToT

Useless trivia: I was originally going to make Houkou a male, but in order for the story to make sense I had to change the gender. I really do prefer Hinata having a male demon(tough as nails and no-nonsense) but we can't all get what we want.

P.S.I made a mistake with the Kyuubi's name. It's Youko, not Yoko. I just changed his name to Yoko Tentei, with Yoko for short.

Yoko Tentei- Beside the Heavenly Creator(God)

I know his name is like the opposite of what he is but hey, I'm weird that way.


	3. Trial and Error

**Trial and Error**

"In the name of the Great Fox, what the hell are you doing woman?" Kenji, the coal-black alpha male of the largest fox skulk in the Land of Fire snapped at his main mate. He was one of the few living foxes with more than three tails; his fourth tail was formed by chakra, and would grow more solid as he became more powerful. Three of his tails were streaked liberally with bold, blood red war paint. Red, the color foxes proudly display to show their allegiance to the Greater Kitsune that once dominated the world of demons. His cold eyes were scrunched up in pain.

Katsu, a sandy colored vixen with two tails and a streak of red war paint along her spine dodged his snapping jaws and lashed out at his muzzle. "Back off!" She snarled, confused and a little hurt by his prickish behavior. "What have I done?"

Kenji glared furiously at her for a moment before raising his head to sniff the air, his tails twitching in unease.

Their relationship had grown strained ever since the cruel murder of their youngest cub. Kenji refused to look directly at her, favoring his lesser mates whenever she was within earshot. As much as she tried to explain that it wasn't her fault, that their kit had wandered away while she was asleep, Kenji would not forgive her.

The necklace of claws her mate wore around his neck clinked as he swung his head from side to side, scanning the area. The fact that foxes were no longer permitted in the demon realm gave Kenji no qualms about sneaking in and killing Moon Bears. Her mate's insatiable desire to kill the ursine demons that murdered all the Greater Kitsune and forced lesser foxes into exile in the lower world often led him to act recklessly; Katsu always accompanied him on these dangerous hunts, knowing fully well she was the only one capable of protecting him if he got injured.

Katsu feared her days as his favored vixen were running short; he had promised long ago that he would never hunt in the demon realm without her, yet, just the other night, he had allowed one of his younger mates to accompany him on his most recent outing. Ever since her kit died, she spent most of her time in her nest in the communal sleeping den, never eating or speaking, leaving only to hunt for the skulk as needed. If not for her erratic sleeping and hunting schedule, she would never have found out he had taken Kiri bear hunting with him. Though they had tried their best to wash the scent from their fur before entering the sleeping den, the reek of bear blood-and the fainter scent of a recent mating- clinging to their pelts was enough for her sensitive nose to alert her to their presence as she slept.

Too hurt to greet or confront them, she pretended to be asleep. For long afterwards she lay, thinking tormented thoughts about her future.

The ideaof Kenji rejecting her for a vain, weak female was almost too much to bear. Was their dead kit the only reason her mate was so distant? Even before that incident, they had begun to grow apart.

Was it the stress of having the lives of the entire skulk on his shoulders that led her mate to distance himself? Or was it her weight gain? Having cubs did that to a body, and she was the first to admit that her figure was no longer as lean and lithe as that of some of the junior wives.

Shaking her head, she followed her mate's example and sniffed the air too. If not for her strong nose, he would have chosen a different wife to accompany him. Too much work to do; the Kyuubi himself had appeared to her mate in a vision and ordered them to keep a sharp lookout in the forest during Naruto's genin exam. He did not specify the danger, nor where it might occur, leaving the entire skulk to split up and patrol the paths of the forest.

As she stepped forward a sharp pain lanced along the side of her body, the force of it so immense she yelped.

"Itai!"

It was her turn now to snap at Kenji, her teeth , managing to graze his cheek as he leapt nimbly away. He opened his mouth to snarl, only for it to turn into a pained yelp as his legs buckled. A wave of nausea engulfed her, and she fought the urge to retch. A dark feeling of foreboding made her cringe. Only the presence of a foreign demon could instill this sort of feeling in a two-tailed fox. An awakened demon with thousands of years' worth of chakra, sluggish from it's slumber but finding speed of foot upon realization of a long forgotten goal.

It was this monster that caused them both this incredible pain.

"Where is it coming from?" Kenji growled at her shoulder, knowing her nose was better than his.

"The forest of death….but the scent is getting fainter…it's on the move!" She looked at her mate with wide eyes. "What do we do?"

Kenji lashed his tails, his brow furrowing in thought. "We need to fall back and guard Naruto." He began to pace, his heavy paws making rough indentations on the ground. "Two or three of us need to stay on this monster's tail, keep it far away from the village."

"I'll go," she volunteered on the spot, and perhaps hoping he'd care enough to insist he come with her, or make her stay behind. Such tactics were useless on Kenji-he knew damn well what she was up to.

"Fine," he said, turning his back on her and padding away. "Wait here for the others I'm sending along; I'll see to Naruto myself."

Kenji ran at a brisk pace towards the area where his skulk made their dens. He was perhaps another five miles or so from his den site when a faint cry of distress reached his ears. He skidded to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust, and charged towards the battle that he knew was at hand. Suddenly, a similar, more agonized scream came from another direction, this one sounding farther away.

He cringed, the hissing of shuriken cut through the air to bury themselves in enemy throats striking rage and fury into his heart. Human kits were being attacked! In multiple areas too. But by whom? Kenji growled under his breath and closed his eyes, focusing his chakra and extending it to the tips of his tails in preparation for a technique. _Ninpo, Kage Bunshin No Jutsu! _A shadow clone with one tail appeared beside him and immediately ran back along the path he came by. Whatever was happening, the skulk needed protecting. The clone would fetch Katsu back to the dens.

With that, he turned and plunged through the forest, following the faint touch of Naruto's aura, yearning to fight, kill, die for the human child whose soul was intertwined with his master's.

* * *

"The three of you are doing better than I thought," Captain Yamato said as the genin team made their way back from their mission. Despite the Sandaime's hint that they might run into an obstacle of some sort, the most trouble the team had was when Kiba did a midair flip without warning Akamaru, causing the small dog to fall from the trees into a thicket. After they fished him out from the bushes, the quiet Hyuuga had volunteered to carry him the rest of the way. The pace he set was brutal for the young shinobi; they would gradually gain more stamina as they went on missions. That is, if they passed their test. For now, though, they would have to use chakra to strengthen their muscles and keep up.

Unbeknownst to the genin and his fellow Tokubetsu Jounin, the Sandaime had chosen him specifically to keep an eye on Naruto, and keep his demon in check. Yamato himself knew what it was like to grow up different, and took pride in knowing that he had so little prejudice that the Hokage trusted only him to gauge Naruto's skills with a fair eye.

What he saw did not impress him, but rather left him intrigued. Naruto seemed like an ordinary genin in regards to his basic skills, but he also carried with him a self-assured air, a patient, calm focus on the mission at hand. His ability to restrain Bijuu hosts came with another, lesser known power: the ability to emphatically link with the Bijuu itself, and by extension the Bijuu's host. He'd had time to use this ability on the Kyuubi's container while they were being briefed on the mission. There was always the danger of a mind-crippling mental backlash, especially if both the host and the Bijuu were adverse to his probing..

A chill had overtaken the jonin's body as his mind linked to the ancient beast's; both suddenly became aware of the other, the jounin trying his best not to make his intrusion too obnoxious. The fox acknowledged his presence with a stab of annoyance, then a calmer lull as the monster made up it's mind to put up as unconcerned an air as possible. Finding Naruto's mind(so small and easy to delve into, unlike the Kyuubi's) was easy to do, and he was immediately reassured by the boy's desire to complete his mission.

Satisfied with his findings, the jounin pressed on, leaping from branch to branch with little thought or effort.

Behind him and to either side, Naruto and Kiba struggled to keep up, determined to outpace the other without passing their squad leader.

_**Hey kid, don't bother wasting your energy on that brat**_…Kyuubi warned sagely. **_A pretty picture you two will make in a fight, all worn out and out of breath because of your foolish games…_**_You know as well as I do that's impossible_, Naruto replied, launching himself between overhanging branches that kept appearing in his path. _My stamina beats that mutt's by a mile!_

**_Be that as it may, I want you to slow the hell down and breathe properly as you run; your keirakukei may be running fine and dandy, but when your regular circulatory system is being overworked at the same time, it lessens the potency of your chakra system…_**

_I know I know…._

The Kyuubi lashed his tails angrily. **_Damn you Naruto if you know this then I shouldn't have to waste my fucking time repeating myself!_**

_What time? All you do is sit in a cage and bitch and moan at me all day! _He fired back, emitting a growl that earned a startled look from Kiba.

"What?" he snapped, cursing himself for allowing his feelings to be visibly read. It was a sign of weakness in times of war; one of the first lessons the unruly fox had drilled into his head.

"You look like you're about to crap yourself," Kiba sneered. "Lighten up, will ya?"

"Fuck off."

"Che."

From somewhere behind them he heard a heavy sigh, and remembered for the first time in several minutes that the Hyuuga girl was right behind them. Sparing a glance behind him, he met her eye for barely a second before he turned his focus back to the arboreal path ahead.

Ever since he'd called her weird back at the student training grounds, she'd been oddly quiet, preferring only to speak to Kiba or Yamato-teichou. Even so, he had the distinct feeling she was quietly studying him, and the thought rankled him.

"We're nearly there," Captain Yamato said over his shoulder, stopping on a broad branch and waiting for the rest of them to catch up.

Facing them was a large, wide gorge, it's edge barely ten yards from the tree line. A waterfall crested the opposite ridge, where the forest, now parted by the river, resumed.

On their side of the gorge, a steep, narrow path led down to the bottom. What lay down there was difficult to see due to the thick bushes and trees that obscured their view from above.

"What is this place?" Kiba asked, placing his palm on a tree trunk and bracing himself as he looked out across the wide expanse.

"Well, legend has it that this gorge is the result of an earthquake caused by a very powerful Bijuu. It is a little-known area among the regular citizens, and most people don't care to come here. And with good reason. Some say demons haunt the gorge at night, waiting for the opportunity to kill unwelcome visitors." Yamato chuckled to himself. "It really depends on how seriously you take these old kunoichis' tales."

"Is the scroll down there?" Naruto asked, peering over the edge.

"Well, obviously," Kiba retorted, shoving him aside.

Naruto's fist was cocked in a flash, but even swifter was Yamato's reach as he seized his charge's wrist in an iron grip.

"Not. Now," He gazed at each of them in turn, the shadowy contours of his face illuminating his eyes in an eerie, if not downright scary fashion. "Are the two of you done?"

"Hai." The boys glared sulkily at each other. Yamato sighed.

"Right then," he said. "As I said before, the point of this mission is simple. There is a special scroll hidden somewhere in this canyon. I want you to use your abilities to find it, and bring it back up here. You have an hour. However…"

"This'll be cake!" Kiba clapped Hinata on the back. "All we need is a little Byakugan action and-"

"No." Naruto gazed at them evenly. " That is way too easy. I say we turn this into a contest." He grinned, showing canines disturbingly similar to Kiba's. "What do you say?"

"Heh, I'm up for it," Kiba cracked his knuckles and motioned towards Akamaru. "Akamaru and I-"

"No Akamaru," the Kyuubi's host said quickly, immensely satisfied with the annoyed look that flitted across his rival's face. "Just us two….unless you're afraid you'll lose."

"Hell no! You're on!" The Inuzuka yelled, tearing down the side of the cliff, Naruto close on his heels. "Watch Akamaru for me!" Kiba shouted over his shoulder.

Hinata stood there with Akamaru in her arms, momentarily stunned by their sudden departure. Hearing a heavy sigh, she turned to see the Captain shaking his head in resignation.

"Um…you weren't finished speaking?" Hinata asked as Akamaru let out a whimper.

"Ah, yes." Yamato rummaged in his kunai pouch and pulled out a handful of walnuts. "I never did get around to mentioning the decoy scrolls….or the fact that coming back with the incorrect scroll even once is grounds for failure…" He cracked open a nut between his teeth and picked out the edible bits on his palm. "I'd hurry up and tell them if I were you."

_**Your teammates are idiots**_, The Gobi said bluntly, not for the first time.

_Stupid Kiba,_Naruto thought silently, furiously, as he peered into holes and crevices within the cliff's walls. _I'm going to find that scroll first….and if Kiba still has something to say about it, I'll make him eat it. _

If the Kyuubi had been listening in on his thoughts, he made no indication. In fact, he seemed more determined than ever to ignore his host, drawing within himself so that he was no more than a speck in his mind.

Further down the gorge, he heard Kiba curse as he stumbled on some loose rocks.

Smirking to himself, he removed his jacket, tied the sleeves around his waist, and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. The journey there was intense, and the coolness of the sheltering cliff walls was a relief for his overheated body. He quickly shook out his black shirt(sweat had caused it to cling uncomfortably to his skin) and put it back on, feeling better than before. Pulling his goggles over his eyes for protection, he took a good look around his surroundings.

The waterfall ended in a pool at the bottom of the cliff. It was from this source that a stream ran along the gorge bottom; the damp ground was littered with small, smooth stones, while further away from the stream, near the wall opposite, was dense vegetation.

The gorge was about two hundred yards across, slightly wider than the top so the craggy rock walls jutted forward slightly on either side. It was not a bad place, he decided; he made a mental note to come back later for a more thorough examination of the area. There may even be good hunting as well. He swallowed, grimacing at the sudden dryness in his throat. A drink wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

He emerged from the shelter of the bushes where he had been searching and glanced casually from side to side before making his way down to the stream. The clear water was cold to the touch, most likely due to the cool climate down there. He crouched down and plunged his face in almost up to his eyes and drank deeply. _Yes...perfect indeed... _He sat back and sighed, looking back upriver. He couldn't see any of the others now.

He was just about to resume the search when something glinted at the bottom of the stream. "What is that...?" He said to himself, knowing he would get no answer unless he looked for himself. He leaned over the water and plunged his arm in up to his shoulder. His fingers scraped the bottom, sending up a small cloud of sand that obscured the unknown object from view. By the time sand had settled and the water cleared, his fingers had already grasped it. _Fuck... _He cursed, feeling some part of it slice through his palm. Digging his fingers under it to get a better purchase, he tugged it, fumbled, then managed to get a more secure grip.

He knew by now that it was some kind of blade, most likely an old or broken blade a shinobi had cast away. His assumptions couldn't be further from the truth. The katana was flawless, unmarked as though it had been recently forged. The blade itself a gold so fine, so light, that it was almost silver. The metal hilt was crisscrossed with strips of leather that felt similar to the skin of a lizard or snake. the edge of the guard was etched in a complicated pattern of tiny dragons, their eyes inlaid with black pearls.

The katana pulsed subtly, as thought it were infused with some kind of chakra. It certainly seemed to respond to touch, and he felt a sudden desire to keep this sword. Youko's silence assured him the weapon was safe. No matter how angry the fox may be, he was always quick to warn his host of the slightest danger to his being.

_If I only had a sheath..._he thought, eyeing the beautiful blade. Which, he noticed, had the faint image of a celestial dragon etched along it's length. Making up his mind, he dug in his pack and pulled out a roll of bandages, which he wrapped around the blade as carefully as possible. Once he was satisfied it was no longer in danger of being damaged, he trudged back to the bushes and resumed his search.

After several minutes of fruitless searching, he sat back up again and wiped the dust off his bare arms. His neck ached, there was no sign of the scroll at all and, worst of all, Youko was being unusually silent. Frustrated, he looked back towards where he'd left Hinata with Yamato. Perhaps her byakugan would be of some use after all.

No...

He thought to himself. The Hyuugas despised him; asking a Hyuuga for help would be like admitting they were better. He knew he'd have to repay Hinata for saving him the other day as well. His nose twitched as it caught a familiar scent.

_Speaking of which..._

The bushes behind him rustled, then parted as Hinata stepped into direct view. She too had shed her sweatshirt, and carried it draped over an arm. Akamaru was nowhere to be seen. She froze upon seeing him, then walked toward him warily.

"Any luck?" He asked before she could form a word. He stepped closer, saw the her tense at his advance. Her manner reminded him of a dog or cat with it's ears pulled back in distrust. Her eyes were wide with distress.

"Y-Yamato-Teichou...he said-"

"WHOO HOO! YEAH!"

Kiba's triumphant howl cut across the serene silence. Hinata visibly paled.

"Kuso..." she muttered before, of all things, turning around and running away from him, towards the direction where Kiba's voice came from.

"What the hell," the blond nin swore under his breath before taking off after her. Realizing he forgot the katana, he ran back, picked it up, then launched himself in pursuit. She was faster than he thought, though he managed to overtake her just as they reached the base of the path they had taken to come down.

"Ugh...come on..." She said, hauling herself up the steep cliff face. Feeling completely out of the loop, Naruto grabbed her ankle before she could climb another step.

"Tell me what's going on," He demanded, his touch catching her by surprise. To his own shock she glared at him irately, her lavender irises flashing. His heart skipped a beat.

"I d-don't know what the hell you w-were thinking, but you guys were so busy having your stupid contest that you didn't hear the rest of Yamato-Teichou's instructions," she hissed furiously, startling him into releasing her. "Thanks to you, if Kiba gives Sensei the wrong scroll we're out."

_The rest of his instructions? Wrong scroll? Damn it..._

His hands shook. Mistakes like that would be fatal in a real mission. There was no doubt they'd fail now. Such an error was inexcusable.

With a heavy heart Naruto made his way up the cliff. As he climbed, the empty feeling inside him began to dissipate. Youkou had overheard everything; he padded forward from the recesses of his cage and lay in front of the sealed gate, his forehead resting against the bars. He said not a word.

Silent support from a ruthless demon.

Yamato stood with his arms crossed, an open book laying facedown on a log beside him. The other two genin stood in front of him, arms clasped behind their backs. He gave the Kyuubi container a curt nod as he took his place among them.

"The scroll, Kiba."

His hand shaking, Kiba handed the scroll over to Yamato, who simply held it without unrolling it to read what it said. After a few seconds, the entire scroll crumbled to dust. Yamato let the fragments fall to the ground. Without a word, he closed his book, placed it inside on of his packs, and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Naruto shouted after him. "What about us?"

Yamato stopped. A branch laden with sakura blossoms arched above his head, sprinkling his shoulders with late petals.

"You fail."

* * *

I have no idea what to say. I lost my motivation to write this story. Then, it suddenly came back. 3 whole years...my god. All I can say is, I've grown up, and I fully intend to finish my stories. I apologize if it seems I rushed their mission...there's more to come in this little outing.


End file.
